Sussex County buys more than 300 acres for $2.3M

Sussex County purchased 294-acres of the Forest of the Broadkill Preserve outside Milton and 11-acres along the Nanticoke River near Seaford to preserve as open space. | PHOTO COURTESY OF SUSSEX COUNTY

GEORGETOWN –

Sussex County is adding a significant land contribution to its land preservation bank. The County purchased 305 acres for $2,310,000 near Milton and Seaford that will feature public trails. On Tuesday, May 9, County authorities made the announcement that Sussex County had acquired four additional tracts of land, all of which are located on the opposite extremities of the County, to be preserved as open space.

 The properties, totaling a little more than 300 acres, include:

• A 294-acre tract known as the Forest of the Broadkill Preserve, bordering Ingram Branch, off Shingle Point Road outside Milton. The property, a mix of fields and wooded areas costing $1.85 million, will be managed by the Sussex County Land Trust, and is expected to eventually include a publicly accessible trail system.
• An 11-acre assemblage of three wooded parcels, known as the Wright properties, along the Nanticoke River near Seaford. The parcels, costing approximately $460,000, will be managed by the Nanticoke Conservancy and feature public access at a later date.

Sussex County officials said the purchases, the latest in a round of land buys by the County in recent years, are an important step in ensuring the County’s natural settings remain intact for future generations to enjoy.

“The County Council has made it clear that preserving land is among one of its highest priorities,” County Administrator Todd F. Lawson said. “This in an investment to maintain Sussex County’s legacy.”

Funding for the acquisitions comes through the County’s portion of realty transfer tax revenue.