In September 2019, board members and leadership staff of Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC), along with local elected officials and project stakeholders, boarded the Patriot ferry in St. Michaels for a cruise along the Miles River – and a presentation explaining what ESLC’s most recent initiative, “Delmarva Oasis,” is all about.
The scientific community has spoken. While our biodiversity continues to rapidly diminish, new roads and bridges further connect us to the I-95 corridor, opening our uniquely positioned peninsula for further development and loss of natural habitats. Adding to the alarm is the fact that the Eastern Shore is considered the third most susceptible region to the effects of sea level rise in the entire nation.
“Delmarva Oasis” proposes to permanently protect 50% of the Delmarva Peninsula while restoring critical habitats by 2030. To achieve this, we must work across state lines to determine what habitat, food production, and public access lands must be protected to sustain the core life functions of Delmarva – permanently. In doing so, this region would then serve as a model for long-term sustainability in other areas.
Through the lens of legendary conservationist and author E.O. Wilson’s Half-Earth, it has become clear that securing half of what we have for nature and food production is the only solution to protecting the valuable resources and quality of life that we all depend on.
ESLC, a conservation-based organization with 30 years of experience preserving 65,000 acres of landscapes and working productively with local leaders, believes that it is uniquely positioned to organize and help lead the Delmarva Peninsula’s boldest, environmentally focused initiative in its history.
It’s time for conservation on the Delmarva Peninsula to aim higher – much, much higher. For more about “Delmarva Oasis,” feel free to contact ESLC at info@eslc.org or call 410-690-4603.