In the reaches of the Upper Delaware River lies a hamlet called Barryville, located in the Town of Highland, New York. As you cross the bridge from Pennsylvania into New York, the beautiful Delaware River flows just underneath you. You come to the crossroads which at either turn you could find yourself at a local ice cream spot, a canoe livery service, an off-the-path trail, or a small restaurant filled with friendly faces, delicious eats, and a refreshing drink. On weekends, the Farmers Market bustles with visitors from all walks of life, who come to buy fresh fruits, vegetables, honey, cider, handmade pottery, cutting boards and baskets, and to support local farmers and businesses while enjoying live music along the River; on occasion you may even spot celebrities who have chosen to retreat to this gem in the woods. For a bit of nostalgia, drive about 20 minutes and you will find yourself at the original Woodstock property where concerts are held on the lawn still to this day. Every weekend you see folks in kayaks, canoes, and rafts traveling down the river. Kids and adults alike jump into the water (wearing their Personal Flotation Devices of course) and swim along a backdrop of lush green trees teeming with wildlife. If you’re lucky, you may even see a bald eagle.
This region of the Delaware River watershed is a true instance of natural beauty perfectly accompanied with local charm. For some vacationers, this is the closest they may ever get to a Yellowstone or Grand Canyon. However, a single development application submitted to the Town of Highland Planning Board could completely disrupt this scenic and treasured area. They call it Camp “Fun Is More Fun Outside,” or Camp FIMFO for short.
The Camp FIMFO project application was first introduced to the Town of Highland Planning Board – a small group of five appointed by the Town Board in January of 2022. The application seeks a special use permit from the Planning Board to turn Kittatinny Campground, an 84-year-old campground with 300+ tent camping sites into an RV resort with a waterpark, mini golf course, and hundreds of new water, sewer, propane, and electricity hookups. Parts of the campground are situated less than 100 feet from the Upper Delaware River.
The proposed project has sparked controversy within the Town of Highland and the greater Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River Corridor. Over the past three years, the application has been the subject of dozens of meetings and a myriad of comments made by worried residents, visitors and organizations. Delaware Riverkeeper Network has been present at many of these meetings, submitting letter after letter to the Town of Highland voicing concerns about the project and the need for better public inclusion and accessibility in the review process.
Residents have voiced a variety of concerns – chief among them the fact that this proposal would transform the 200-acre parcel from a beautiful and natural sanctuary into an industrial RV landscape. In addition, community members are concerned about the strain the project will place on emergency services, a significant increase in traffic, negative impacts to property values and local businesses, the generation of thousands of gallons of polluted wastewater, risks associated with development in the 100- and 500-year floodplains, and the applicant’s plans to pursue tax abatements and exemptions. Some community members shared past negative experiences with corporations that offer grand promises of economic prosperity, but are really more concerned with bottom line profits than the well-being of the River communities they develop.
Delaware Riverkeeper Network, shares these concerns.
And we believe that the approval of Camp FIMFO may set a dangerous precedent – transforming the Upper Delaware region from a beautiful, healthy, natural landscape into a series of industrialized RV parks with all of the associated traffic and harm. Not only will Camp FIMFO, and other projects like it, inflict irreversible harm on our river corridor and communities, but it will also make the River inaccessible to many. While the current tent camping is quite affordable for people from all walks of life, RV resorts often charge rates up to 6.5 times the amount, which would outprice many who have been traveling to the Upper Delaware for generations.
Today, the Town of Highland provides a welcome respite for those wanting to enjoy our free flowing river, the beautiful nature that lines its banks, quaint downtown districts, and an engaging atmosphere. Now try to imagine this reach of the River with Camp FIMFOs lining the river corridor.
As you cross the bridge from Pennsylvania into New York, you might see the same local ice cream spot and restaurant — but will visitors still come for a meal and a sweet treat? Or will they go to the Camp FIMFO competing food spots. You turn onto scenic Route 97 to head to a canoe livery, but dozens of RVs and cars are backed up along the byway, all headed to the latest Camp FIMFO. As you idle your way down the road, you notice the Barryville Farmers Market. You would love to stop in and see the local vendors, but the street parking has been limited due to the huge influx of traffic and risks to pedestrians. The air that was once filled with music and the smell of nature has been replaced by the sounds of car engines and generators, and the reek of fossil fuel exhaust. You drive onward, eventually coming to the Camp FIMFO sign. You pull in, thinking that you will be able to make a quick reservation and pitch your tent for the night, only to learn that the relatively few tent sites are all booked and the only available accommodations are for on-site RVs at $600/night. As you leave the office and look around at the campground, nobody is outside enjoying a fire, instead they are inside their RVs watching TV. The mingling of friends, families, neighbors, and strangers is lost. You cross the street to get a look at the Delaware River. After walking by the hundreds of cars parked in front of the riverbank, you finally get to look out at the water. Upstream and downstream you see more and more development – maybe more FIMFOs. How did this region of the Delaware River watershed turn into an overdeveloped, commercial playground – with the residents of the Town of Highland all getting left behind in the process?
The Town of Highland has extended the comment period on the Camp FIMFO application and draft EIS to March 11, 2025. Comments can come from any person concerned about the environmental, social, and economic well-being of the Delaware River and its surrounding communities. If you would like to share your thoughts, you can submit a written comment to the Town of Highland Planning Board at planningboardzba@townofhighlandny.com.
For more information on Camp FIMFO, visit www.NoCampFIMFO.org.
You can view Delaware Riverkeeper Network’s 220-page comment explaining the faults in the draft EIS here.
