On Friday, January 30, the Friends of Hopewell Furnace faxed a petition to the Director of the National Park Service in Washington, DC, to revisit the NPS decision to remove all staff and close Hopewell Furnace on Mondays and Tuesdays. The Friends will be meeting at the park on Sunday, February 8, following their program on Berks County Trails. The closure which is slated to begin on Monday, February 9 will be on the agenda.
The Friends first learned about this closure from an email sent to President Gene Delaplane from the Acting Site Manager Frances Delmar on January 22. With the closure set for Feb. 9, the Friends voiced their concerns that the decision “will place the park in jeopardy. Having no one on site means that there is no one to check the park’s 848.06 acres nor its 81 structures.”
During the government shutdown in 2013, the National Park Service ensured that two employees were at the park, one to ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act and the second to take care of the park’s two dozen farm animals. Congress has ensured that the park’s appropriation has remained intact and the park has now two retired employees which would clearly free up funds for replacement or additional staff.
Hopewell Furnace is at the very center of a globally significant landscape, Hopewell Big Woods and serves as a critical gateway to the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. It is surrounded by state park, state game lands and preserves. With two national recreation trails, the 18 mile trail system is shared between the state and federal government agencies. Since 1938, the park has been open seven days a week. Recent history will show that on Mondays and Tuesdays in the off season although the main visitor programs have not been offered, the park grounds and restrooms have remained open. Administrative and maintenance staffs have been available to assist visitors, some who come from great distances to enjoy the park.
The park principally relies on state and local emergency services. NPS law enforcement is provided out of Valley Forge which at best is a 40 minute drive from the park. The park is home to endangered species. Leaving no one on site and reducing protection represents an existential threat to a Federal Trust Resource under the protection of the US DOI Fish and Wildlife Service and the PA Fish and Boat Commission.
Established in 1994, the Friends of Hopewell Furnace is the official non-profit fundraising arm of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. A 501(c)3 citizen organization, its mission is to support the preservation, maintenance and programs of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. Donations to the Friends may be tax deductible according to the rules set by the Internal Revenue Service. For more information visit www.friendsofhopewellfurn.org.
