SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. — Sussex County officials are considering new regulations aimed at preserving forests as development continues to expand across the region.
According to the Delaware State Forest Service, Sussex County has lost 43,000 acres of forest in less than 25 years, much of it due to residential construction.
“We came here four years ago and, just in the four years, it's been crazy. There's too much traffic now, and with all this development, I'm all for putting a little halt on that,” said Leslie Caulfield, a county resident.
County leaders have rejected the idea of a moratorium on development but are exploring alternatives to balance growth with environmental protection. Among the proposals is a requirement that developers plant a minimum number of trees in new housing projects.
Officials are also considering limits on how much “valuable forest” can be cleared in both rural and urban areas. The designation of what qualifies as a valuable forest would be determined by a forester, according to council leaders, and different standards would apply depending on location.
“Council is considering a forest preservation ordinance that refines what is currently in our code to help ensure more valuable forests are protected as a standard. We would do that by creating specific definitions that allow certain types of forests to be identified as more valuable than others. If passed, and as a requirement with each new development, there would be a tree specialist who would provide a report on each forest and identify the areas required to be preserved," 1st district councilman Matt Lloyd told WBOC on Friday.
"If these more valuable forests are somehow cut or destroyed in the development process, then a replanting plan at a 2.5-to-1 ratio would be required, using indigenous trees native to Delaware. That comes at a large cost to developers. Before, tree stands could be removed, whereas now they would be required to remain in place at a certain percentage, depending on where they are found in the larger land-use plan on the map. Rural areas require a higher percentage to be saved. Urban areas a bit less," Lloyd said.
"From my perspective, this is an attempt to better manage land-use and preserve the natural resources that are still out in the farmland, which we are seeing rapidly consumed. I want to encourage higher-density growth closer to town centers and arterial roads, where better infrastructure already exists, and take as much pressure off our farmland and natural resources as possible. This ordinance seeks to do just that," Lloyd continued.
Some neighbors expressed interest in the proposal.
“I have 11 grandkids, and they're gonna have their kids. We have to do everything we can to make sure they have the environment that we've grown up with,” said Kathy Judge.
Council members say the broader goal is to steer development toward established towns and areas already experiencing growth, rather than rural parts of the county where large tracts of forest remain.
Some residents say maintaining that balance is key as new proposals come forward.
“There has to be a balance between the two. You know, we have people who live here cause its great, but they need places to make a living to be able to live here,” Judge said.
The proposed rules are still under consideration, and no final decisions have been made. County officials say a formal ordinance is expected to be introduced at the County Council meeting on Tuesday.