For Immediate Release
October 20, 1999
(JIM THORPE, Pa.) - A panel discussion on the topics of land use changes, impacts on water resources, the image of the Delaware River Basin, and planning for the future will take place on Oct. 26 in Jim Thorpe, Pa.
The public event, cosponsored by the Economic Development Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania (EDCNP) and the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in Courtroom #1 of the Carbon County Courthouse, 4 Broadway, Jim Thorpe. Persons interested in attending are asked to pre-register by calling EDCNP at (570) 655-5581.
"The DRBC views this as an excellent opportunity to learn about the special interests and concerns of our constituents in the Lehigh River watershed and how the commission might be able to help," DRBC Executive Director Carol R. Collier said.
"We are very pleased to cosponsor this panel with the DRBC in Northeastern Pennsylvania," EDCNP Executive Director Howard J. Grossman said. "This event brings to our region an important opportunity to discuss our interests in the Delaware River Basin and to meet first hand with commission members and staff."
In addition to Collier and Grossman, panelists scheduled to participate include Davis R. Chant, President, Pike County Chamber of Commerce; Jim Clauser, Director, Carbon County Conservation District; Mathilda Harrison, Deputy Executive Director, Pocono Mountains Vacation Bureau; Tom Kerr, Executive Director, Wildlands Conservancy; William McDonnell, Northeast Regional Office Director, Pa. Department of Environmental Protection; Fred Osifat, Director, Carbon County Planning Commission; Alan Saches, newly-appointed Executive Director, Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor; and Craig Todd, Director, Monroe County Conservation District.
The EDCNP is a private nonprofit corporation organized to further economic, social, and physical development in Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Schuylkill, and Wayne Counties. It is comprised of a 131-member Council of Delegates and a 51-member Board of Directors from the private and public sectors in northeast Pennsylvania. Funding comes from federal and state grants/contracts, as well as contributions from the seven county governments, private firms, organizations, and individuals.
The DRBC was formed in 1961 by compact among the four basin states (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware) and the federal government to manage water resources in the 13,539-square-mile Delaware River watershed. The Lehigh River is one of the two largest tributaries to the Delaware River. Commission programs include water quality protection, watershed planning, water supply allocation, regulatory review, water conservation initiatives, drought management, flood control, and recreation.
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