HB 262 Summary

• Amends the Delaware Land Protection Act (Chapter 75, Title 7) to modernize the 25-year-old statute and clarify the Delaware Open Space Council's functions and the Open Space Program's purposes.

• Codifies eleven specific criteria for determining state resource areas eligible for voluntary land protection, including lands with endangered species, significant ecosystems, historical/archaeological value, wildlife habitat, forest resources, and wetlands.

• Establishes a formal procedure for creating and updating state resource area maps, requiring Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to hold public hearings and obtain Council approval before Secretary adoption, with mandatory review every 10 years.

• Clarifies that the Open Space Program is voluntary, allowing landowners to voluntarily offer land for permanent protection by state agencies, and removes requirements for counties to incorporate state resource area maps into comprehensive land use plans.

• Streamlines the Open Space Council's duties by removing outdated requirements regarding overlay zoning and county land use standards while maintaining the Council's advisory role on preservation priorities and creative protection methods.