NEW CASTLE — A preservation effort will conserve  nearly 250 acres of critical farm and wildlife lands near the Port Penn area of southern New Castle County, officials announced this week.

The now protected Warren and Gillespie tracts are critical pieces of land because of their proximity to sea level and sensitive habitat for native and migrating birds on the East Coast flyway. This closes a nearly decade-long saga by eliminating two pending lawsuits and comes at zero costs to New Castle County taxpayers, officials said.

“Today we put preservation over development, at zero cost to the taxpayer,” County Executive Matt Meyer said in a prepared statement. “This will preserve nearly 250 acres in southern New Castle County, provide 40 acres of open space for a future park and dramatically reduce threats to water quality. It further brings closure to over a decade of lawsuits related to development in this area. I am pleased to announce this win-win arrangement that will conserve critical habitat for future generations.”

Stewart Ramsey, president of the New Castle County Farm Bureau, said in a news release that he and others in the bureau appreciate the preservation of agriculture in the county. 

“The use of a transfer development rights program is a creative and economical way to manage growth and preserve one of the county’s very scarce resources, farm land," he continued. "This preservation project should give other landowners hope that New Castle County is serious about managing growth in a fair and equitable manner.”

Delaware Natural Society Executive Director Anne Harper noted that agriculture is "an important part of Delaware's heritage."

“DelNature is glad to see this commitment to preservation because farmland lost is farmland lost forever," she said. 

Kate Hackett, executive director of Delaware Wild Lands, echoed the sentiment. 

“This work builds on and expands decades of public-private investment in ensuring the longevity of pastoral landscapes and biodiversity associated with Augustine Creek and the Thousand Acre Marsh," she said.