The The Upper Delaware Council, Inc. (UDC) was unique in the world of river conservation and management when established in 1988 because it represented a formal partnership of local, state, and federal governments and agencies which have joined together to manage the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, a true national treasure. The Council’s existence evolved from special provisions in the 1978 legislation which designated the Upper Delaware River as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and called for development of a management plan and a program providing for the coordinated implementation and administration of the plan. To that end, the Upper Delaware Council (UDC) was formed in 1988. What sets this River Management Plan apart is the commitment to local land use controls and voluntary actions by landowners to protect the resources on their own private property, as opposed to federal ownership of the land in the river corridor.