Henry F. Porter Preserve Deal: 181 acres permanently protected; cross-border pact links key habitats

A conservation effort spanning more than 15 years has secured 181 acres of forests, wetlands and waterways along the Nanticoke River and Wright Creek, preserving ecologically significant land across Maryland and Delaware. The project, announced by the Nanticoke River Watershed Conservancy and Chesapeake Conservancy, brings together multiple generations of the Porter family, state conservation agencies and federal partners to protect the landscape from future development. The newly established Henry F. Porter Preserve in Delaware and the adjacent Porter Tract in Maryland form part of a wider effort to safeguard the Chesapeake Bay watershed, where forests, tidal creeks and wetlands support wildlife and help maintain the health of connected waterways.A family inheritance becomes a conservation priorityThe project began more than 15 years ago, when the Nanticoke River Watershed Conservancy started working with eight descendants of Henry F. Porter to secure the future of their inherited property. Deeds and successive inheritances dating back to the mid-19th century complicated negotiations, requiring years of coordination among family members and conservation organisations.Porter purcha...