PORT PENN, DELAWARE (1/10/2015) A federal grant will help the state purchase and preserve a 140-acre property near Port Penn, officials announced Friday.
The property along Route 9 will increase to 528 acres the amount of protected area in the Thousand Acre Marsh as well as expand access to wildlife habitat. The marsh adjacent to the Delaware Bay stretches from the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal to Port Penn.
“In addition to ensuring a diverse natural legacy for future generations, this project enhances our natural resources and boosts our economy by encouraging more Delawareans and visitors to enjoy our state as a world-class birding and wildlife-watching destination,” said Gov. Jack Markell in a news release. “By adding this property to our state-owned wildlife areas, we are creating connections to conserve and protect habitat along the Delaware Bayshore, as well as connecting people with nature.”
The new property includes about 67 acres of wetlands and 73 acres of upland habitat. It will expand the Augustine Wildlife Area, including the Thousand Acre Marsh, to 3,130 protected acres.
The marsh provides habitat for thousands of breeding and wintering waterfowl, and serves as a stopover for migratory birds during spring and fall and as breeding grounds for waterbirds, as well as habitat for fish and muskrats, officials said. Protection and management of the property will help safeguard habitat for several species listed as endangered by the state, as well as protecting foraging habitat for one of the largest and most diverse heronries on the East Coast and critical overwintering habitat for the bald eagle.
The new property also will provide public access to the southern portion of the Thousand Acre Marsh for wildlife-related recreation. Plans include waterfowl and upland hunting access and enhanced wildlife viewing.
The $731,399 federal grant was awarded to the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Division of Fish & Wildlife. It will be used along with matching state and private contributions to acquire the property.
Delaware’s grant was part of more than $21 million in National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program funding announced by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support 25 projects in 13 states.
The funding was generated from an excise tax on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels.