Delaware adds 275 acres to White Clay Creek State Park with $26.5 million funding plan

In a record-setting project for Delaware, White Clay Creek State Park near Newark will be expanded by 275 acres with grants and state funding.

The plan was announced Monday morning, Jan. 8, in a press release by Gov. John Carney, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Delaware Open Space Council.

“It represents the largest investment and private partner contributions to a DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation project in the Open Space Program’s history,” said Carney. “And it honors the oath that elected officials take to ‘respect the right of future generations to share the rich historic and natural heritage of Delaware.’”

The $26 million project included:

• $19.5 million from the Delaware Open Space Program,

• $6 million from the Mt. Cuba Center through The Conservation Fund,

• a $500,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through Walmart’s Acres for America program.

This is the first time Acres for America has funded a project in Delaware. The grant was one of only 10 awarded nationwide in 2023 in the competitive program.

The land is being added to White Clay Creek State Park in three phases and includes the last major privately-owned land surrounded by park property.

About 90 acres was bought in September. The second parcel, about 97 acres, is scheduled to be added early this year, and the last property, about 88 acres, is scheduled to be acquired later this year.

The park, nearly 3,650 acres, is north of Newark near both Maryland and Pennsylvania, and is connected to the White Clay Creek Preserve which stretches into Pennsylvania.

Over 45,000 acres in Delaware preserved by Open Space Program

With this 275-acre addition, DNREC has acquired more than 45,000 acres through the Open Space Program with combined state, federal and partner funds.

Delaware’s 2023 budget included $20 million in funding for the Open Space Program, enabling the purchase of the new land for White Clay Creek State Park.

Created in 1990 by the Delaware Land Protection Act and guided by the Delaware Open Space Council, the program is shared between DNREC’s divisions of Parks and Recreation and Fish and Wildlife, the Department of Agriculture’s Delaware Forest Service and the Department of State’s Historical and Cultural Affairs.

“As our state’s population continues to grow, we have to make sure that we have first-class recreational opportunities for our residents to enjoy, as well as our visitors,” said Carney.

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DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin thanked all the partners who helped to make this park expansion possible, including Mt. Cuba Center and The Conservation Fund, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through Walmart’s Acres for America program, and the du Pont-Langenegger family.

In a tribute to conservationist William K. du Pont, Sabrina du Pont-Langenegger and her husband Conrad Langenegger gifted a $1.3 million endowment through the Delaware Community Foundation to support Delaware State Parks.

Gavin said the expansion project aligns with the White Clay Creek State Park Master Plan, which emphasizes keeping the park natural and maximizing its 37-mile trail system, a favorite feature among park users.

Representing The Conservation Fund, senior vice president Blaine Phillips said the acquisitions will add much-needed open space in one of the fastest growing areas in our region.

“It is a testament to Delaware’s long tradition of building partnerships to achieve major conservation outcomes,” he said.

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Ann C. Rose, Mt. Cuba Center’s president, said native plants, migrating and nesting birds and many other species rely on White Clay Creek’s woodlands, stream valleys and ridges.

“We are pleased our support will protect these habitats, and we thank all conservation partners involved for their collaboration and dedication to this important achievement,” she said.

Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, said the foundation is proud to partner with Walmart’s Acres for America program to “support this important project, where people will have the opportunity to connect with nature and will benefit from increased recreational opportunities.”

Reporter Ben Mace covers real estate and development news. Reach him at rmace@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware adds 275 acres to Newark area White Clay Creek State Park