SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - The Sussex County government will soon be purchasing over 300 acres of property, about four miles south of Milton, at the cost of $1.85 million. This property, once purchased, will be turned into a new nature preserve for future generations to enjoy.
“The thinking is that this will be a true preserve. The woods will be restored. The fields will be enhanced,” Mark Chura, the executive director of the Sussex County Land Trust, explained exclusively to WRDE. ”We’re looking for grants that will encourage additional wildlife habitat, both flora and fauna, and ultimately we will have hiking and biking trails through the property with small trailheads.”
The property, which sits near the intersection of Shingle Point Road and Gravel Hill Road, consists of land that runs along Ingram Branch. This land currently contains mature forests, some recently clear-cut land, and an existing trail system that was used by logging vehicles.
Courtesy Sussex County Government.
The Sussex County Land Trust will be responsible for the maintenance of the land. The hope is for this property to be open for the public to use in just a couple of years.
An additional 11 acres, known as the Wright properties and costing around $460,000, will be preserved along the Nanticoke River near Seaford and will be managed by the Nanticoke Conservancy.
Courtesy Sussex County Government.
Funding for these acquisitions comes through the county's portion of realty transfer tax revenue.
"The county council has made it clear that preserving land is among one of its highest priorities," administrator Todd Lawson said. "This is an investment to maintain Sussex County's legacy."