Partnership of Government and Private Nonprofits has Protected more than 8,600 acres of Sussex County Forests

The Nature Conservancy Commends Governor Minner for Conservation Leadership

Wilmington, DE—January 13, 2005—The Nature Conservancy today applauded the Minner Administration for announcing that an additional 2,000 acres of timberland in Sussex County has been preserved. In combination with the parcels that have previously been protected by the State, Sussex County, The Conservation Fund and The Nature Conservancy, more than 8,600 acres (13.5 square miles) has now been protected by this public-private partnership.

One of the keys to success in today’s announcement was the tremendous cooperation between the Minner administration and Delaware’s congressional delegation in securing necessary appropriations for the project. The Nature Conservancy advocated strongly on Capitol Hill to help secure $2 million of Forest Legacy funds. The Conservancy commends Senators Carper and Biden and Representative Castle for their efforts to secure Forest Legacy funding for this project.

“More than 80% of Delaware’s original forests have been lost,” said Roger L. Jones, Jr., State Director of the Delaware Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. “Preserving and restoring forestlands is one of our highest conservation priorities. We will be working with the Minner administration and General Assembly this legislative session to create additional private landowner incentives to expand forest conservation in Delaware.”

The newly-preserved acres announced today is the second phase of an effort to protect a significant percentage of 19,000 acres of timberland held by Glatfelter Paper Pulp Company. Most of this land lies within areas that have been designated by The Nature Conservancy as a high priority for conservation – and is also highly desirable to developers in Sussex County’s hot real estate market.

Last year, The Nature Conservancy purchased 908 acres of Glatfelter land near Milton to expand their Pemberton Forest Preserve, now 1,300 acres. “We are thrilled with the opportunity to restore a large tract of native coastal forest habitat,” said Maria Trabka, Delaware Bayshores Project Director of The Nature Conservancy. “Much of Delaware’s wildlife and songbirds depend on this ecosystem to survive. We also need healthy forests to filter the water in our groundwater and streams that flows into the Delaware Bay.”

“However, the challenge is finding the funding to pay for land near developing areas,” Trabka continued. “We still need to raise more than $2 million of private donations to pay off the $10 million that was required to expand the Pemberton Forest Preserve.”

Trabka praised the State and The Conservation Fund, as well as Senators Carper and Biden and Representative Castle for their successful collaboration to protect 2,000 acres of Delaware’s forests. “Preserving our best remaining forests and wildlife habitats can only be done when many different government agencies, nonprofit organizations, private landowners and concerned citizens working together. The Nature Conservancy will continue to build effective partnerships and looks forward to the next public announcement about a conservation success story.”