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The Delaware chapter of The Nature Conservancy last week finalized purchase of a conservation easement on 149 acres along Beaverdam Creek outside Lewes, known locally as the Burton Farm.
The property, owned by the Goody family, contains mature forest and farmland and is prime habitat for many native species. The forest includes stands of poplar, oak, beech and hickory trees. The purchase, announced Friday, March 9, by The Nature Conservancy, will ensure that the property remains in its natural state as habitat and can be enjoyed by future generations.
“When my grandfather bequeathed this land to me, he requested that it remain in the family for sentimental reasons,” said John Goody, a retired Marine Corps officer and environmental consultant residing in Kaneohe, Hawaii. “Even though we no longer live on the East Coast, the value of this land to our family and to Delaware’s natural heritage far outweighs any profit we would gain.”
The Goody easement was purchased with financial support from local foundations and private donors, as well as with the help of Sussex County Council, which donated a $428,000 grant through Sussex County Land Trust. In total, the easement cost about $1.1 million, said Roger Jones, director of the Delaware Chapter of The Nature Conservancy.
“Delaware has already lost 80 percent of its forest lands and preserving what is still left is crucial,” said Jones. “More than 130 acres of the Goody property is forest. Protecting such a large tract of remaining forest with numerous large oak and tulip poplars, is at the heart of the conservancy’s mission to preserve the diversity of life on earth by protecting the lands and waters that all living creatures need to survive.”
“Protecting this land is a large step toward improving water quality in the area and the state,” said Andrew Manus, director of conservation programs for The Nature Conservancy’s Delaware chapter. “Because it is situated along a portion of Beaverdam Creek, the forest serves as a filter for Beaverdam Creek - a tributary of the Broadkill River - and the exceptional water quality extends downstream to the Great Marsh and ultimately to the Delaware Bay, two areas of priority for the conservancy.”
People interesting in donating to the conservancy may send gifts, earmarked for the Burton Farm, to The Nature Conservancy, 100 West 10th St., Suite 1107, Wilmington, DE 19801.
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