Now that the Fourth Street Preserve has been permanently protected, the next step is restoring it into a vibrant urban forest and community asset. A Master Site Plan is underway to guide this work over the coming years, in partnership with the City of Lewes, the Delaware Forest Service, and local experts. This project will also serve as the model for other Urban Community Forests to be established across Delaware.

Key features of the plan include:

• Trails with educational signage
• The creation of a scenic wetland
• An open grassy area for community use
• Habitat improvements for local wildlife
• Hundreds of new plantings of native species

Beyond its natural beauty, the restored Preserve will serve vital ecological functions, including improved stormwater management, flood mitigation, wildlife habitat preservation, and carbon sequestration.

To make this vision a reality, we are launching the Fourth Street Preserve Restoration Fund with an estimated cost of $825,000. The plan addresses the three principal requirements of the Preserve’s conservation easement: public access, public participation, and public benefit.

Professional Costs – $65,000

Design, review, RFPs, fund development

Implementation – $300,000

Trails & bridges, plantings, site engineering

Interpretation – $110,000

Educational signage design, review, bidding, installation

New Wetlands – $210,000

Groundwater study, design, installation

Ongoing Maintenance – $140,000

Three years of plantings, seed resources for future fundraising

Total: $825,000