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NARROWSBURG – The Upper Delaware Council (UDC) will host a public presentation, “Congressional Designation of the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River” on Thursday, April 3, at 7 p.m. in person at the 211 Bridge St., Narrowsburg, NY office and virtually by Zoom.

Former U.S. Congressman Matthew McHugh (D-28) will be featured in a recently recorded interview for the National Park Service’s oral history program, to be introduced in person by his former Chief of Staff Marvin Rappaport. The 29-minute video provides insights into their integral role enacting the 1978 bill to federally protect the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River.

“Please convey my sincere appreciation to all those who have participated in making the implementation of the Upper Delaware River legislation a success. As you know, the legislation was groundbreaking in calling for the active involvement in its implementation of not only the National Park Service, but of the relevant state and local communities as well. Without their active participation and commitment, the preservation of this special natural resources would not have been possible,” retired Rep. McHugh tells the UDC.

McHugh represented the Southern Tier of New York in the U.S. House of Representatives for 18 years from 1975 to 1993. Known for his bipartisanship, Congressman McHugh was a member of the House Appropriations, Veterans’ Affairs, Agricultural, and Interior Committees.

He served as keynote speaker at the UDC’s 2^nd Annual Awards Banquet held Feb. 24, 1990 at the Villa Roma Resort in Callicoon and was recognized for co-sponsoring with Pennsylvania Congressman Joseph McDade the legislation that added the Upper Delaware to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

In a Jan. 11, 1988 letter to the Upper Delaware Council signed with fellow Congressmen McDade and Ben Gilman (NY), the trio wrote, “We urge you to take this conservation plan seriously and make the most of it. If you do, fifty years from now when the Upper Delaware is still a quality river, your children and their children will thank you for the steps you are taking today.”

Sullivan County native Marvin Rappaport served as Congressman McHugh’s chief of staff from 1975-1979 and helped craft the Upper Delaware legislation. He arranged and conducted the oral history interview and will answer questions.

Rappaport later served as chief of staff at the Anti-Defamation League, a national civil rights and human relations agency. He also served as Counsel to Alan Gerry at CVI, then the 10^th largest cable company in the U.S.

The UDC’s monthly business meeting to follow will include reports from the Delaware River Basin Commission, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, National Park Service, and UDC Executive Director; discussion of old and new business; and public comments.

All UDC meetings are open to the public. To request the Zoom link to participate remotely, contact UDC Administrative Support Stephanie Driscoll at stephanie@upperdelawarecouncil.org or (845) 252-3022.

Please check www.upperdelawarecouncil.org or UDC social media pages for any meeting updates.

Photo caption: Former Chief of Staff Marvin Rappaport, left, and U.S. Congressman Matt McHugh (NY), who helped craft the federal legislation that designated the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, are pictured in this archival photograph from the late 1970s.