This petition will be sent to Michael Regan of the EPA, Philadelphia Regulatory District at the US Army Corps of Engineers, Secretary Shawn Garvin of DNREC, State Senator Russell Huxtable, Delegate Peter C. Schwartzkopf, Planning and Zoning of Sussex County, Sussex County Councilman Mark G. Schaeffer, Evan Miller, City Manager of Rehoboth Beach, and Bill Zolper, Town Manager of Dewey Beach 

Dear Federal, State, and Local Officials,

We, the concerned citizens and residents of our beautiful state of Delaware, urge you to enforce the applicable environmental regulations for Silver Lake, a State Bird Refuge since 1933. Silver Lake is a treasure to residents and visitors alike in Sussex County, Delaware. The environment around Silver Lake is under threat due to development projects that have been allowed to proceed without proper environmental impact assessments. We call for the County and Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to implement stricter enforcement of these projects.

The existing requirement that property owners apply for permits needs to be enhanced and enforced. Such enforcement would allow the County and DNREC to evaluate each project as they would other developments. This evaluation should include plot surveys, environmental impact studies, floodplain management studies - all standard procedures that should be conducted before any land disturbance begins.

We also urge the authorities to enforce and require additional buffer setbacks from the edge of the lake, ensuring a safe distance between construction activities and our environmentally sensitive lake. Moreover, proper sediment controls must be implemented immediately to prevent fill dirt and contaminants from entering Silver Lake.

To see some of the recent issues that have arisen due to limited government monitoring, see Trouble on Silver Lake. This video forcefully demonstrates the damage that is being done with little government oversight and enforcement.

As policymakers, your role is essential in restoring the natural state of Silver Lake, which has been recognized as a bird refuge and a natural treasure by the State. The unpermitted clearcut and backfilling of 400-500 tons of construction dirt must be diligently addressed and restored before any consideration of Sussex County permits. I kindly request a detailed report outlining the actions you plan to undertake and the results achieved through thoughtful and persistent efforts to reverse these violations and preserve the ecological integrity of Silver Lake.

Signed,

Save Silver Lake!

Dear Federal, State, and Local Officials,

We, the concerned citizens and residents of our beautiful state of Delaware, urge you to enforce the applicable environmental regulations for Silver Lake, a State Bird Refuge since 1933. Silver Lake is a treasure to residents and visitors alike in Sussex County, Delaware. The environment around Silver Lake is under threat due to development projects that have been allowed to proceed without proper environmental impact assessments. We call for the County and Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) to implement stricter enforcement of these projects.

The existing requirement that property owners apply for permits needs to be enhanced and enforced. Such enforcement would allow the County and DNREC to evaluate each project as they would other developments. This evaluation should include plot surveys, environmental impact studies, floodplain management studies - all standard procedures that should be conducted before any land disturbance begins.

We also urge the authorities to enforce and require additional buffer setbacks from the edge of the lake, ensuring a safe distance between construction activities and our environmentally sensitive lake. Moreover, proper sediment controls must be implemented immediately to prevent fill dirt and contaminants from entering Silver Lake.

To see some of the recent issues that have arisen due to limited government monitoring, see Trouble on Silver Lake. This video forcefully demonstrates the damage that is being done with little government oversight and enforcement.

As policymakers, your role is essential in restoring the natural state of Silver Lake, which has been recognized as a bird refuge and a natural treasure by the State. The unpermitted clearcut and backfilling of 400-500 tons of construction dirt must be diligently addressed and restored before any consideration of Sussex County permits. I kindly request a detailed report outlining the actions you plan to undertake and the results achieved through thoughtful and persistent efforts to reverse these violations and preserve the ecological integrity of Silver Lake.

Signed,

%%your signature%%

321 signatures

Watch the Video   Reference Files