I read with some confusion the article by Bill Shull regarding the two fundraising campaigns to purchase the two properties in the Lewes area, Fourth Street Preserve and Ard na Greine. Both properties are wonderful opportunities to preserve open space in the area, and I applaud the efforts by both Greater Lewes Foundation and Sussex County Land Trust to do so.
As I read the article, I kept asking myself why are individual residents and property owners being asked to contribute so heavily to the Fourth Street Preserve, while there seems to be so much public funding for the Ard na Griene property. Then I reviewed the Sussex County Land Trust website and discovered that they are seeking (and will hopefully receive) a federal grant from the USDA/NRCS for Ard na Greine to put that property under an agricultural land easement. This requires a great portion of the property to continue to be used as farmland with limited access by the public. The Fourth Street Preserve is intended primarily to be used for public access and stormwater management purposes. This differentiation makes a huge difference in terms of the federal funding available to the Fourth Street Preserve.
Both these properties are well worth our collective efforts to put under conservation, but the Fourth Street Preserve requires much more community support since it is not eligible for federal and county funding due to its proposed land use and its location within Lewes city limits. The Greater Lewes Foundation is working with Sen. Russ Huxtable and other state officials to secure state funding for this property. I am grateful to the property owners (who have discounted the value of the land), the City of Lewes (which has committed $750,000 toward the purchase of the property), the Longwood Foundation (which has issued a 50% matching challenge grant of $1,000,000) and the individuals and businesses for their support and participation in funding the purchase of this property.
I ask all residents, property owners and businesses of Lewes to seek out opportunities to continue their financial and community support for preserving the Fourth Street Preserve. We have until September 2025 to successfully raise $8.3 million, and I am confident if we all work together, we will succeed!
Kevin Murphy
Lewes
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