The United States of America (US) territory encompasses mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, open plains, National Parks,  and many beaches along its Western and Eastern coastlines.

Over thousands of years, the US became populated by the Indigenous people.  It is important to mention that a University of Oxford Study using genetic evidence pointed to the reality that the indigenous people had potentially inhabited the North American Continent as early as 130,000 years ago.

During that period, the indigenous people, with their deep understanding and respect for the land, spread throughout the US and Canada.  They became the revered caretakers of their territories, stewards of their hunting grounds, mountain ranges, forests, rivers, lakes, and oceans within their lands, living in harmony with Nature.  They used what was essential to maintain a balance between man and Nature.

Once the Europeans arrived, the US lands bore witness to the attempted systemic genocide of the indigenous people.  Over the centuries, the country saw deforestation in its mountains and natural forests and pollution in its waterways and environment. 

Over the years, there have been people and organizations united with the Indigenous people, in a shared mission to protect the lands from government interference or potentially hazardous development.

Such is the case of the Delaware River.  There is a proposal to change the designation of the existing Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DWGNRA) to the Delaware River National Park and Lenape Preserve Alliance (DRNPLPA.  In the proposal, “Forest to Field Conversion” is mentioned.  This statement is problematic as President Trump signed Executive Order 14225- Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production on March 1, 2025, which opens the door to the potential threat of allowing the cutting down of forests to increase logging production in our national forests and other lands designated as public land in this country.

It must be mentioned that President Trump does not mandate that logging occur throughout all the 280 million acres of Parklands and open spaces.  However, it allows for logging to occur across all the aforementioned territories.

Presently, the DWGNRA has the proper designation to help prevent the ravages of logging and the environmental impacts that logging brings to the forest, which were addressed in President Trump’s Executive Order. 

The DWGNRA is enjoyed by many people who bring in tourism, businesses, and the enjoyment of the natural wonders of Nature.

Therefore, because changing the designation has the potential for the DRNPLPA to fall under the executive order mandates that lead to the increased production of logging and significant damage to the environment and wildlife, we urgently join with the other supporters of the DWGNRA to demand that the change in designation be rejected. 

Wado/Wanishi

Principal Chief Dr. Ronald Yonaguska Holloway

SandHill Band Of Lenape and Cherokee Indians (NY, NJ,PA)..