Officials ride in the Susquehanna River Discovery Tours pontoon boat as it approaches Columbia River Park on June 7.
BLAINE SHAHAN | Staff Photographer
The Susquehanna River Discovery Tours pontoon boat is docked at Columbia River Park Friday, June 7, 2019.
Marks Platts, the president of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, left, Senator Bob Casey and Congressman Lloyd Smucker talk at Susquehanna National Heritage Area disignation ceremony at Columbia Crossing River Trail Center Friday, June 7, 2019.
Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons walks from the Susquehanna River Discovery Tours pontoon boat at Columbia River Park Friday, June 7, 2019.
The Susquehanna River Discovery Tours pontoon boat pulls to a dock at Columbia River Park Friday, June 7, 2019.
Congressman Lloyd Smucker prepares to cast a rope from Susquehanna River Discovery Tours pontoon boat as it nears a dock at Columbia River Park Friday, June 7, 2019. To the right of Smucker is Columbia Borough Mayor Leo Lutz.
Congressman Lloyd Smucker points as he rides on the Susquehanna River Discovery Tours pontoon bot as it nears Columbia River Park Friday, June 7, 2019. To the right of Smucker is Columbia Borough Mayor Leo Lutz.
Officials celebrate heritage designation by riding on new river tour boat: Here's when you can, too
GILLIAN McGOLDRICK | Staff Writer
Gillian McGoldrick
It's infrequent that national, state, county and local officials gather together all at one time. It's even less frequent that they gather on a small pontoon boat to cross county lines.
But that is exactly how some officials arrived to Friday's event to celebrate the Susquehanna National Heritage Area designation, which the president enacted into law in March. Officials across all levels advocated for more than 11 years that the area be nationally designated.
Several of these officials, including U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, arrived at Friday's event at Columbia Crossing River Trails Center on a new water shuttle, which will be the first program for the area under its new national designation. These new River Discovery Boat Tours are set to begin in early July.
Susquehanna water shuttle would link Lancaster, York counties by boat
AD CRABLE | Staff Writer
The designation will also allow the nonprofit that oversees the area to use National Park Service branding and access national appropriation dollars of about $300,000 toward Lancaster and York Counties' ecotourism efforts.
"We finally did it," said Mark Platts, the president of the heritage area nonprofit who spearheaded advocacy efforts for more than a decade.
The water shuttle program will directly connect York and Lancaster counties. In its first year, it will occasionally ferry people from the Zimmerman Center for Heritage in Wrightsville to the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center in Columbia.
It will run a twice per week in 2019 for its pilot year to teach Native American and early American history. In partnership with Long Level Marina, the water shuttles will cost about $18,000 for its first year and $34,000 the following year, to be paid by the National Park Service and state grant funding for at least the first two seasons, Platts said.
The boat will most frequently travel in a one-hour loop with 10-12 passengers to and from the Zimmerman Center. It will serve the more than 448,000 residents in York County and 554,000 residents in Lancaster County. More details will be released when it launches next month, he added.
The designation is already making a difference in Columbia, Claire Storm, 80, said. Storm, a former elementary school principal in Manheim Central School District, founded the River Town Program in 2001 after she retired. She's been working on programs to improve the Susquehanna River ever since, including advocacy for the new national designation.
Susquehanna River national designation would mean up to $300K in federal dollars for Lancaster ecotourism
"I think it's going to be such an economic boom," Storm added.
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, who was among those celebrating in Columbia, first introduced legislation in 2008 to designate the area. He reintroduced the legislation each session until the designation passed the Senate in mid-February as part of the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act. Smucker joined advocacy efforts after he assumed office in 2017, obtained House approval last year, and helped the Dingell Act pass the House in late February.
Many at the event are excited to support ecotourism and historical programs in the two counties through the water shuttle and the designation.
"We have a rivalry," said Kevin Schreiber, the York County Economic Alliance president. "We will continue to have a rivalry. But we all have the Susquehanna."
Lancaster County Water Week features nearly 30 family friendly events
HURUBIE MEKO | Staff Writer
Reservations: Go to the Susquehanna National Heritage Area's website at susquehannaheritage.org.
Run days: Every Saturday and Sunday from its launch in July to mid- to late September.
Cost: To be determined.
Weekend weather: Saturday brings seasonable conditions, extreme UV index
Saturday is forecasted to be a pleasant day, according to Accuweather.
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Susquehanna River national heritage designation is welcome - and long overdue [editorial]
THE ISSUE:
New, free Susquehanna River boat tours begin this weekend
The Susquehanna National Heritage Area will begin offering free water shuttle tours on the Susquehanna River this weekend.