SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- A bill aimed at protecting Cape Henlopen State Park is moving forward in Delaware’s general assembly.
In a unanimous vote, Senate Bill 6, which would work to establish clear guardrails for how the state park is used and preserved, passed the Senate Tuesday. It will now go to the House for consideration.
The bill, brought by Senator Russ Huxtable, reaffirms the General Assembly’s intent to honor the Warner Grant Trust and thereby remain true to a 350-year-old Delaware obligation to ensure that future generations of Delawareans will have the opportunity to enjoy Cape Henlopen’s incomparable natural environment.
Co-sponsor of the bill, Speaker of the House, Pete Schwartzkopf of Rehoboth Beach has said, “Specifying that ‘conservation and preservation’ of the trust is DNREC’s top goal will provide very clear direction and should give all of us peace of mind that Cape Henlopen will remain a treasure for residents and visitors for generations to come. As state legislators, that is one of our most important duties.”
This legislation is the direct outgrowth of a public meeting held at Cape Henlopen High School on December 5. At that time, nearly one thousand citizens listened to a proposal to build a bar/restaurant in the park. Public comments overwhelmingly rejected the bar/restaurant’s construction. Whereas Parks and Recreation Director Ray Bivens announced the bar/restaurant plan was “paused,” SB 6 terminates it.
Preserve Our Park was formed in response to the plans to build a bar/restaurant on the dune next to the Hawk Watch at Cape Henlopen State Park. The POP is a group of concerned citizens working to protect Cape Henlopen State Park from commercial development and to ensure that CHSP is not used for private gain or financial benefit that is detrimental to the public benefits of conservation, nature education, and public recreation.