On this website is a link to a story from WHYY on the troubling loss of forestland in Sussex County – 43,000 acres, to be exact
Some of this loss was inevitable, given the rapid population growth and a favorable tax environment that drew an army of retirees to a county with a delicate low-lying coastal environment.
Much attention has been paid to the county’s substandard roads and highways and the associated congestion that resulted from a doubling of the county’s population and a lack of investment at the state and county levels.
However, the loss of forests and the lack of a county ordinance requiring that a percentage of forested area remain in new developments are issues that cry out to be addressed now.
The issue has reached a point where a developer’s plan for a new subdivision would require cutting a swath of state forest to provide a needed buffer in the event of a wildfire.
The environmental costs clearing costs are massive in terms of controlling run-off and the ability of trees to absorb carbon dioxide and add oxygen to our air. One mature tree is said to absorb 48 pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
The Sussex County Council has listed forest preservation as a priority. Whether that leads to meaningful changes remains to be seen.
For a Delaware Republican party looking for an issue that will resonate with voters, making forest protection a priority is a no-brainer.
Democrats have been largely focused on social equity issues and big and sometimes unpopular solutions to environmental issues, such as alternative energy and electric vehicle mandates
After all, it took a Republican President, Theodore Roosevelt, to save national treasures from development and bring us the national parks system.
Enjoy your weekend and stay safe as a powerful tropical storm makes its presence felt, especially in Sussex. – Doug Rainey, chief content officer
