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NARROWSBURG – The Upper Delaware Council, Inc. (UDC) announces the hiring of Julie Pais of Shohola, PA as its Resources and Land Use Specialist effective August 3, 2026.

Pais will provide the non-profit organization with technical support on development projects, zoning, and ordinance reviews and environmental resource issues relevant to the Congressionally designated, 55,574.5-acre Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River corridor in Pennsylvania and New York.

“This position offered by the UDC is an incredibly unique opportunity for me to utilize my skills in interdisciplinary communication to affect successful project outcomes to protect and preserve the Upper Delaware Watershed,” Pais says.

Previous work experience includes roles as a geo-technical field specialist, an applied ecology and compliance specialist with wetland and forest conservation certifications in Maryland, and a project manager for Ecoscientific Solutions working throughout northeast PA. She also served as coordinator of grants management at Wilkes University.

“Throughout my professional career I enjoyed working as a consultant with land planners, engineers, and regulatory agencies in the creation, design, and construction of land development. If you do environmental work, this is a dream job, and how this national river designation evolved is fascinating,” she says.

Pais grew up outside Boston, MD and earned a 1992 bachelor’s degree at Virginia Tech, concentrating on environmental science, political science, and urban planning.

She moved to PA in 2000, initially residing in the Luzerne and Monroe County areas before settling in Shohola Township in Pike County two years ago.

She and her husband of 26 years, Rich, a retired wildlife biologist & forester who was the proprietor of Pais Ecological Services for 30 years, built a house on a nine-acre, forested property near Twin Lakes and a few miles from the Delaware River, in which Julie can frequently be found as an open water swimmer who competed in the Junior Olympics and award-winning swim meets. Other sporty endeavors include being the only female on a water polo team, participating in Iron Man triathlon and running events, hiking, and skiing.

Julie and Rich are the parents of Christopher, 33, in Maine; Maria, 23, in Virginia; and Drew, 21, recently a U.S. Marine now living in San Diego, CA. As temporary foster and permanent adoptive parents themselves, the couple in 2004 founded Wilkes-Barre Racing, a 501(c)3 organization that hosts athletic events to actively raise awareness and funds to help with the costs of fostering and adopting children in need.

Pais also enjoys “reading books about things I know nothing about but want to learn”, playing classical piano, and hiking in the Adirondacks as a favorite get-away destination.

She may be reached at (845) 252-3022 or julie@upperdelawarecouncil.org.

The Upper Delaware Council was established in 1988 as the oversight body responsible for coordinating implementation of the River Management Plan for the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River.

Its voting members are the eight New York towns and five of the seven Pennsylvania townships that border along the 73.4-mile-long river corridor, along with the State of New York and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, who appoint representatives to a governing board. The Delaware River Basin Commission is a non-voting member. The UDC operates under a long-term Cooperative Agreement with its federal partners at the National Park Service and currently employs three full-time staff.

For more information, please visit www.upperdelawarecouncil.org, the UDC’s social media, or call the Narrowsburg, NY office at (845) 252-3022.