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More planning needed to protect environment, watershed

April 14, 2023
Recently, the Center for the Inland Bays released its five-year State of the Bays report indicating that the overall grade for the waters of the Inland Bays remains what it was in 2016, a "poor" or "D" rating. Those of us who live here know this is no surprise. Sen. Tom Carper attended the event and stated: "We have to be smarter in the way we do development as part of the solution. We must do better than a D." He also said one reason for the grade is regional population growth, and restoring the Inland Bays depends on how we plan for population growth and its impact. One statistic in the CIB report shows the number of residents within the watershed increased by nearly 250% between 1990 and 2020.      
 
In the face of these statistics, why would the representatives and senators in the Delaware General Assembly try to weaken a process for land use that for 20 years has fulfilled its goal to increase coordination among state and local agencies in land use and development? It also serves as an objective early warning system for the public about potential impacts on traffic and environment in their areas. The process known as the Preliminary Land Use Service, aka PLUS, has allowed for discovery of issues and obstacles in the development process before they happen. It has shown it offers benefits to all parties in land-use development.  
 
So why is the General Assembly trying to move quickly to change PLUS? Perhaps it's written in the description of the draft bill: The change will assist in "expediting the process for major projects by exempting them from part of the PLUS process."  
 
Really? More coordination among state and local agencies isn't needed for the biggest projects? 
 
If you feel more, not less planning and coordination is needed to protect our environment and watershed, we need to send a message to our state senators, because the House has already passed this.
 
 
Linda Sullivan Schulte
Selbyville
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