Milford chronicle., 1956-11-30
State Development Dept.
Cited For It's
Progress
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Continued from first page)
areas for public recreational pur-
poses. | figured that by adding
their experience to that of Mary
land we might tabulate a lot of
good information for listeners in
9th States who value natural re-
lrces and their conservation.
found State departments in
FER busy as a bee hive, on the
at 8 a. m. AS you enter Dover
Inns placid, honey, and 'studi-
with few people in sight. But
gou approach the business and
ministrative center, you note g.
E22 OF its 6,223 population parked
bumper ITO bumper. The 6,223rd
citizen, who arrived yesterday, is
still looking for parking space. All
have driven and parked with due
respect for Delaware's enforced
traffic rules. Truly, Dover is bust
in out all over
"Delaware's ocean-front control
activities are centered mainly on
the 25-mile stretch from Cape Hen
lopen, which marks the beginning
OF Delaware Bay, south to the
Maryland line at Fenwick Island.
That strip, with it's 100000 acres
of tidal marshes, somewhat resem-
bles Maryland's stretch at ASA
league, below Ocean City, Md. Mar
row land strips are confined be-
tween bay waters and ocean waters,
subject to water action or two
sides where strips are separated
from the mainland
'Delaware's fine objective is to
retain as much ocean front as pos
sible, for public recreation pur-
poses under State control. High
way and Park officials are inten-
sively studying erosion control,
since retaining and developing
ocean frontage involves control of
sea, storm and hurricane wash,
and the building of roads and
bridges leading to such areas. Nat
urally private interests seek to con-
troll ocean fronts, since such land
values have risen fabulously with
increase in population and the up
rise in recreation and sports. There
is only so much land; it can't grow,
but demand for it knows no limit
in growth. Hence State alertness.
CAS- for erosion, the Wilmington
Morning News cites the recent ca
pers of Hurricane Flossy. Along
the Delaware seacoast and bay
front alone, the lost sand couldn't
be replaced by large crew of men
working "a hours a day for six
months dredging sand back from
the ocean bed. Highway Commits
sion's Chief Engineer Richard A.
Haber first estimated half-mil-
lion dollars damage, then million.
Col. w. S. Corkran, beach authori-
ty, estimates 115 million loss in
beah sand worth $4,000 an acre
over a 24-mile stretch. The News
asks-isn't it time to try to tame
nature and stabilize those beaches ?
Delaware's State Development De-
partment answers YES and is try
ing hard to find the solution. It's
Highway Commission and State
Park Commission, meanwhile, are
working wonders for recreation
seekers both at the shore and in
land.
"Concurrently, Maryland plans
to develop the only Maryland State
OWntu OCCdu lEOHL I6CItdLlOn area
at Assateague-once mainland but
converted to an island by the 1888
hurricane that created the inlet at
Ocean City, Md. Private interests
say they will build a bridge and
causeway there, starting not later
than December 81 this year. SUN
PAPERS research recalls that
some 2OCO to 5000 lots were sold at
JAssateague back in 1917. No board
walks, roads or houses were built
there then, and much of the origin
al land is now under sea water.
Titles have lapsed in many cases
and must be cleared by negotia-
tion or condemnation. Maryland S
Assateague Island is a separate
and absorbing story which l shall
save for another time.
Whatever the real or possible
situation along the waterfront, we
of Maryland join hands with you
of Delaware in wishing and work
ing for more and better areas for
our people who would seek recrea-
tiOn. And thanks again, Dover, for
your kind reception to me-yOur
6224th citiZen-on October 20 this
wear"