Sussex County and the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays are partnering to reforest an area west of Fenwick Island.
An estimated 7,800 trees are currently being planted on a 6.5-acre parcel of land located along Lighthouse Road - right off Route 54 in Fenwick Island.
Hans Medlarz is Sussex County’s engineer; he says the Center for the Inland Bay will get additional funding to help pay for this project,
“They have applied for and have obtained a $25,000 grant from the Water Quality Improvement Fund," said Medlarz. "They also have another tree planting grant. So it’s a win-win for everybody.”
The entire project is costing $47,295 and the Sussex County Council recently voted unanimously to approve matching funds of $10,635 towards the project total.
Center for the Inland Bay former executive director Chris Bason calls the reforestation an important part of what the agency is doing.
“Every acre that we can plant back to a forest, is an acre that’s providing clean water for our drinking water aquifers and for our bays," said Bason. "And it’s also providing habitat for our wildlife - like reptiles, amphibians and birds.”
And Bason appreciates having others work with them on this effort.
“The County has been a wonderful partner in this effort; we’ve been able to reforest a lot of County lands, a lot of State-owned lands, parks and wildlife management areas,” said Bason.
Hardwood trees - such as birch and maple - are being planted, as are pine trees to help create a wildlife habitat.
