President’s Message
Our 20th anniversary year has ended, and we are pushing forward with efforts to strengthen and build coalitions with other environmental groups and with other River stakeholders, aiming for better awareness of this exceptional resource that is our river, during a time of lessened development pressure.
The past year has been somewhat quiet; many of our initiatives have paused, been put on hold, or otherwise been reduced to somewhat of a waiting game. The proposed 400-acre Waller Landing development in Hebron is by all appearances almost dead, but it could resuscitate at any time. (Our efforts to encourage the Town to take a definite position on this project have as yet not been successful.) The Wicomico County Comprehensive Plan has been moving along very slowly within the Planning Commission, but it is taking shape, and we have contributed where possible to its development.
The Conaway Property shoreline project in Sussex County that we have been opposing is also still under review. Meanwhile, regional Watershed Implementation Plans have been submitted, to more or less fanfare, according to the efforts of the respective counties. (Environmental observers have given Dorchester County strong endorsement for its WIP efforts, Worcester County some serious criticism, and Wicomico County something in between.) We continue to participate in discussions of these water quality initiatives, and to support the work of the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance in its outreach efforts, from the Nanticoke Creekwatchers Program, to the stream buffer trials, to their Green Infrastructure initiatives in land preservation and restoration.