Congress Gives New Jersey Park Historic Status Despite Park Service Objections

The latest example of a park to nowhere is in Paterson, N.J., the place where Congress has decided to create a national historic park even though the National Park Service explicitly said it does not deserve federal dollars.

The 40-acre Paterson Great Falls National Historic Park was part of the massive wilderness conservation bill passed Wednesday by the House. President Obama is expected to sign the $8 billion bill.

According to The Washington Times, the park was championed by Rep. Bill Pascrell, the former mayor of Paterson, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's chief of staff, John Lawrence, who hails from the city.

Pascrell argued that creating a park that centerpieces the city's 77-foot waterfall off the Passaic River would demonstrate "the value that urban parks bring to the national park system and to local communities," according to the Times.

But the bill calls for federal money to be matched one-to-one with local funding for maintenance. Opponents said since the community can barely dredge up the cash, it's a waste of the park service resources.

The National Park Service in 2006 called the site neither suitable nor feasible, according to the Times. It added that the state takes care of Paterson, just as New York take care of Niagara Falls, which is also not a designated national park.

Click here to read The Washington Times article.