Live Green: Sussex County Land Trust
MILTON, De – If you live in Sussex County, Delaware, you may have noticed an influx of development. In 2001, the Sussex County Land Trust was started by a group of people that wanted to preserve Sussex County’s beauty. Today, the trust protects 14 properties with plans to grow.
The trust has partnered with the state of Delaware for open space funding through the USDA. Sara Bluhm is the trust’s first full time employee and executive director, when before, the trust was made up of contractors and volunteers.
“We have helped preserve 6000 acres plus in the community and then we ourselves actually manage about 1300 acres,” Bluhm said.
With more people moving to Sussex County, more land has been used for housing.
“We are under contract with an 88 acre parcel parallel to New Road just outside the city limits of Lewes. It is highly developable land. It would have sold for millions of dollars to put in town homes, condos, single family homes, you name it.” Bluhm said.
She added, “The parcel is along the Georgetown-Lewes trail. It’s an eight and a half million dollar acquisition to purchase the land and put it in perpetuity of preservation.”
Bluhm further explained, “We as an organization, we do actually partner with developers quite often. They’re very supportive of the trust and because they believe the same thing. There is a place for development and there’s a place for preservation.”
The trust has partnered with developers like Shell Brothers, and for every household in Sussex County, they donate to the trust. Bluhm told me they are looking to partner with other builders and developers as well.
Half of their properties are currently open to the public and that includes Hudson Park, which is the furthest along in their master plan in building a playground. The park currently has storm water management, newly planted trees, bike racks and fix-it stations, and picnic tables. Last year, they raised $100,000, with the plan to put in a bathroom, and this year, their goal is $150,000.
“We’re planning like a disc golf course as well as trails, potentially a kayak launch because it’s right on the river,” Bluhm said.
The trust has also partnered with the 4H club to help maintain Hudson Park as well as a few other properties. Half of their properties are private and need help being maintained.
“Oyster rocks road. We have a about a 30 acre parcel there, maybe 40 acres. It was actually the first parcel purchased. We have forest of the Broadkill outside of Milton, which is our largest property. It’s 260 plus acres and it’s 90% wooded. So it was a logging site. There are logging paths in there, but it’s we’re not ready to open that to the public. We have plans to put in walking paths and a parking lot and signage, that kind of stuff, an entrance way.” Bluhm explained.
Preserving land in Sussex County helps wildlife and local communities flourish.
“Look around, you see trees, there’s farmland here. We know it’s a retirement age – it’s pretty common here. And so to be able to to give them active and passive recreation opportunity is just going to help the health benefits of the community.” She said.
There are ways to support the trust whether its volunteering, financial or land donations.
“If someone had some acreage and they wanted to just make sure that for future generations their land isn’t bought and turned into a development, they can put a conservation easement on it and we can hold that,” Bluhm said.
Another way to get involved is to attend the Dogfish Bash. Dogfish brewing company is sponsoring the trust for the second year in a row, and all proceeds for this event will go to the trust.
The event will be held on Sunday, September 28th at 9am.
For more information on the event visit Dogfish Brewing. For more information on the Sussex County Land Trust, visit their website.
