U.S. Forest Legacy Program adds 371 acres to Redden State Forest

Helped by more than $800,000 from the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Legacy Program, four former Glatfelter Pulp Wood Inc. forested parcels totaling 371 acres are now part of Redden State Forest. The completion of the $1.35 million purchase this week marked the final phase of the Green Horizons Forest Legacy Program project in Delaware initiated in 2004 with the purchase of an easement on the 908-acre Ponders Tract near Ellendale. The newly-acquired forestland will be conserved for public use and managed for a variety of objectives including recreation, wildlife habitat, water quality, and timber production.

Over a 10-year period, Delaware received $14,925,000 in competitive federal Forest Legacy funding from seven separate grants and protected 3,336 acres of working forestlands in the Redden/Ellendale area. The total project cost $25,553,403 with matching funds coming from the State’s Open Space Council ($5,435,500), private foundations ($4,692,903), and Sussex County ($500,000).