I watched the board members’ eyes glaze over at the February planning meeting as an environmentalist spoke about the endangered barking tree frog and eastern tiger salamander, their fragile ecosystem and the deleterious effects of the proposed RV camp on this unique Love Creek backwater. I know profits speak loudly, but Sussex County does not stand to gain financially from the Lingo park, only Lingo investors do. And we (Sussex residents) have a lot to lose. There are many reasons to preserve this unique ecosystem, the most important ones being to:
1) Maintain free navigation - The State of Delaware has determined that despoliation of wetlands, which the RV Camp will most decidedly do, will “disturb the natural ability of wetlands to reduce flood damage and adversely affect the public health and welfare; that such loss or despoliation will substantially reduce the capacity of such wetlands to absorb silt and will thus result in the increased silting of channels and harbor areas to the detriment of free navigation.
2) Preserve the natural environment of wetlands - “It is hereby determined that the coastal areas of Delaware are the most critical areas for the present and future quality of life in the state and that the preservation of the coastal wetlands is crucial to the protection of the natural environment of these coastal areas. Therefore, it is declared to be in the public policy of this state to preserve and protect the productive public and private wetlands and to prevent their despoliation and destruction.”
3) Insure the value of wetlands as sources of nutrients to finfish, crustacea and shellfish of significant economic value as mandated by the State of Delaware.
4) Protect wetlands as habitats for plants and animals of significant economic and ecological value (including the barking tree frog and the eastern tiger salamander) also mandated by the state of Delaware.
I encourage the planning board members to familiarize themselves with these protections put in place by the state to preserve Delaware coastal waters and wetlands. Love Creek is in confluence with Rehoboth Bay and is an important Delaware waterway.
In my opinion, approval of an RV park on Love Creek would be in direct violation of these state mandates.
Diane Stalker
Lewes
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