Sen. Carper Celebrates Key Committee Passage of Delaware National Park Bill

WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) celebrated the Energy and Natural Resources Committee’s approval of his historic legislation to authorize the creation of a national park in Delaware. The First State National Historical Park Act of 2011 (S. 323), cosponsored by Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

“For almost a decade, I have been working with federal officials, state officials, community leaders and activists to establish a national park in Delaware,” said Sen. Carper. “Today, I thank the members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for approving this legislation. With today’s vote, we move our state another step closer toward the reality of a national park that preserves and teaches the lessons of our state’s heritage. I cannot wait for the day when families all across this country and the world will plan their vacations around the Delaware National Park, to learn how the First State helped launch the most enduring experiment in democracy that the world has ever known – the United States of America. I also thank Senator Coons and Congressman Carney for their continued support and efforts during this process, and I look forward to working them, the Administration and my other Congressional colleagues to make the First State Historical National Park a reality.”

Currently, the first state to sign the Constitution, the first state in the union, is the last state to have a national park. If the First State National Historical Park Act of 2011 is adopted, that would change. The First State National Historical Park Act of 2011 would create a park celebrating early American Dutch, Swedish and English Settlements located throughout Delaware, and Delaware’s role in the events leading up to the founding of our nation. The park will include sites and attractions in each of Delaware’s three counties. The legislation also allows the Park Service to work with other historically significant sites that are not included in the National Park, but can be included in the National Park materials, tours and other related items.

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