March 29, 2024

Wetlands are Crucial to Our Farming Community

Posted

Dear Rehoboth Farming Community,

Thank you for providing us with a local food economy! It feeds Rehoboth in too many ways to list. I am so proud of the farms which have survived several generations, as well as the new ones that have sprung up, for preserving the cultural tradition of farm life which is unique to our town.

The importance of water availability to farms cannot be understated. One of the functions of wetlands is to store water that will be filtered and released back into irrigation ponds, ditches etc. The proposed 35’ wetland preservation zone stands to protect acres of wetlands that will help ensure that our farming community has access to the water it needs to provide a locally-sourced food supply to our town.

Flood mitigation is also a crucial role of the wetlands that will impact farmers. With more wetlands to absorb water in times of heavy rains, less runoff, which contributes greatly to flooding, will be released. Instead the wetlands will act as a sponge which can store the water, resulting in less flooding overall. Over 1 million gallons of floodwater can be stored in 1 acre of wetlands!

I cordially invite the farming families of Rehoboth to join us at Goff Hall on Feb 15 or March 14 6:30pm to share your input, concerns and wishes. You are an essential part of our town and your voices matter. Our diversity is our greatest strength in creating legal structures to guide our town’s future development!

Long live the Rehoboth Farming Community!

Katy Rourke Wilson

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