Delaware Private Lands Assistance Program

In this unique partnership, the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) and the Delaware Chapter of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) joined efforts to create one of the largest private reforestation projects in Delaware’s history. The Ponders Tract is the site of the restoration project and is found within the Pemberton Forest Preserve near Milton, Delaware. TNC purchased the property in 2004 from a pine tree logging company. The Ponders Tract consists of 908 acres, 188 of which were clear-cut and planted with loblolly pine just before TNC’s purchase. When John Graham, TNC land steward, heard about the Landowner Incentive Program, he said the partnership "seemed like a perfect fit." With the help from the Landowner Incentive Program, TNC could begin the large reforestation initiative.

Due to the size of the reforestation project, TNC proposed using "habitat islands" to encourage the natural regeneration of the forest. Habitat islands have been used to accelerate successional growth for reforestation practices on farmland but, until now, they have never been used on land with pre-existing forest. Since the Ponders Tract contains headwaters to the Broadkill River, TNC decided to concentrate restoration efforts near wetlands and buffer areas, improving the surrounding watershed and habitat for aquatic life. Approximately 30 acres of pine trees were cleared in eight different locations and replanted in 36 habitat island sites with a diverse stand of native hardwood seedlings and young trees. Brush and thin tree stumps were left to create habitat for terrestrial animals and provide perching posts for birds. Perching birds are expected to eat and carry seeds from the habitat islands to other parts of the Ponders Tract, creating diversity in the surrounding monoculture pine tree forest.

As part of the Delaware Landowner Incentive Program, 75 percent of project costs were covered, including the supplies and materials needed for planting. Volunteers and TNC land stewards logged 384.5 hours of labor planting 1,368 trees and shrubs. This provided the 25 percent in-kind services needed to match LIP’s financial assistance.

"We could not have done this without LIP and the volunteers," Graham stated. In less than six months the original 188-acre property of loblolly pines looked significantly different. "It is pretty big in results already," says Graham, referring to the removal of 30 acres of pine trees.

In time, LIP and TNC expect to see an increase in plant and animal species. Current wildlife present on the property include:

Ovenbirds
Black-and-white Warblers
Red-tailed Hawks
Bald Eagles 
Southern Leopard Frog

TNC plans to open the site to the public and provide 6-8 miles of walking/hiking trails with interpretive signs and identification brochures available as well. Over the next 30 years, the regeneration process will offer visitors a glimpse of what the forest historically looked like: a mixed hardwood forest with an array of wildlife.