UPDATED: Sussex County Council Holds Public Hearing on Forest Preservation Ordinance
Image courtesy Sussex County Government
UPDATED – 07/14/26 – The Sussex County Council met Tuesday after a break for the July 4th holiday.
Manager of Accounting, Andrea Wall, came to the Council bearing funding from the Federal Government to the tune of $38,898. This money comes from the US Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, as a federal payment in lieu of taxes for the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. This check represents payments under the Refuge Revenue Sharing Act covering Fiscal Year 2025. The funding will go towards the Cape Henlopen and Milford School Districts, where the Refuge is located, as well as Sussex Tech, Libraries and the County.
The County Council approved the allocation of the funding.
During the afternoon session, the Council heard public comment on Ordinance 26-5 – in relation to Forest Preservation and tree planing requirement. Much of the 20 page ordinance contains little change, but Section 5 creates new Forest Preservation Requirements and Section 6 creates new Tree Planing Requirements. State Forester Kyle Hoyd spoke to the Council on the state and county’s forests and loss of trees to development.
Image courtesy Sussex County Government
During the public hearing representative from several groups – including the Sussex Preservation Coalition, Delaware Native Plant Society, Delaware Landscape Architects and the Home Builders Association of Delaware spoke as well as handful of county residents. Most are in support of Ordinance 26-05, however not everyone was in agreement on the definition of “forest.” They did agree, however that the definition that came from the Land Use Reform Working Group was the better option.
The Sussex County Council deferred a vote on Ordinance 26-05 – it will be revisited at a later meeting in Old Business.
The Sussex County Council meeting for Tuesday, July 21st has been canceled – they are next scheduled to meet on Tuesday, July 28th.
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ORIGINAL STORY – 07/13/26 – The Sussex County Council will meet at 10 Tuesday morning. They will hear from manager of Accounting, Andrea Wall on money paid to the County in lieu of taxes from the US Department of the Interior for Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. That funding will be meted out to Milford and Cape Henlopen School Districts, Sussex Tech and the Libraries in those districts. There’s one public hearing during the afternoon session – for Ordinance 26-05 – in relation to Forest Preservation and tree planing requirement.
The Council meets Tuesday at 10am in the County Administration Building on The Circle in Georgetown