Guardians step up campaign to preserve forest
The new grassroots preservation group Delaware Habitat Guardians has hit the ground running.
Residents in the Saddle Ridge and Four Seasons at Belle Terre subdivisions have joined forces in an effort to purchase a 6.7-acre forested parcel – with an active eagle's nest – near their communities off Route 24 and Mulberry Knoll Road.
The Guardians held their first public meeting June 26 at Lewes library; it was attended by 80 people. A silent auction raised $6,200 and GoFundMe donations totaled $1,200. Several people spoke, including Sussex County Councilman Mark Schaeffer.
So far, the group has raised $250,000 in its campaign to raise from $750,000 to $800,000 to make an offer on the land.
The group plans to donate the property to the Sussex County Land Trust for permanent preservation.
The Guardians are preparing for another public meeting to provide an update on the campaign’s progress.
Members of the Guardians see the tract as critical habitat in an area where development has significantly overtaken numerous acres of formerly natural terrain.
“A huge amount of wildlife is being condensed into less than a 7-acre piece of land. This is space that must be preserved,” said Joan Barrow, a Belle Terre resident.
Residents have watched eaglets grow in a nest over the past few years on the southwest corner of the property.
“We want to make the public aware of the eagle's nest on the property. We are passionate about protecting this,” said President Melanie Bernstein.
Vice President Judy Rose Seibert said an eagle's nest triggers federal restrictions on what areas can be developed on a property, with no disturbance from at least 330 feet from a nest and up to 660 feet.
The Guardians see no other way other than an outright purchase to preserve the property.
“The community and its citizens have to rely on themselves for preservation. It's our only option, to reach into our own pockets,” said Paul Paolini of Saddle Ridge.
The parcel, which is connected to Hetty Fisher Pond and Love Creek, is included as part the Delaware Ecological Network.
The property is landlocked, but it does have a 12.5-foot easement for access to Route 24, which is about 1,000 feet from the property.
Adding to development in the area is the proposed 80-unit School Lane community, which includes more than 11 acres of forest joining the parcel the Guardians are seeking to preserve. An application to rezone the 22-acre parcel to MR, medium-density residential, and a conditional-use application for multifamily housing along Route 24 and adjacent to Love Creek Elementary School were denied by Sussex County Council at its May 16 meeting.
Members of the Guardians said the developer is preparing to submit an amended plan for the project.
In the meantime, the Guardians are working hard to spread their message and raise funds. “We want to maintain this property as it is,” Bernstein said.
For more information, and to donate, go to dehabitatguardians.org.
