DE SCR21

Designates June 9, 2023, as "Freshwater Wetlands Day" in Delaware to promote public education on freshwater wetlands.

Notes that approximately 75% of Delaware's 296,351 acres of wetlands (as of 2017) are freshwater wetlands, with approximately 30,000 acres currently unprotected due to fragmented state and federal regulation.

Highlights that more than 3,000 acres of freshwater wetlands have been lost over the past 20 years, contributing to increased flood damage and safety concerns.

Observes that 25 other states, including all other mid-Atlantic states, have adopted state-level freshwater wetland protection programs, leaving Delaware as the only mid-Atlantic state without such a program.

Recognizes that Delaware's 2017 Statewide Ecological Extinction Task Force recommended freshwater wetland protection as a critical element to address declining native species populations.