Leah Roedel: First Lady of Parks

Leah Roedel: First Lady of Parks. Pioneer of Preservation. , Fort DuPont State Park , Tucked beneath the northern foot of Reedy Point Bridge, Fort DuPont is one of the last open riverfront areas left in northern New Castle County. Once farmland, the site has been dedicated to defending the Delaware River since 1864., A Personal Triumph , Leah Roedel campaigned for more than 15 years to make Fort DuPont a state park. In recognition of her unflagging dedication, Leah was invited to sign, as a witness, the document that created Fort DuPont State Park in March of 1992. "Not only must we provide facilities to meet demands for weekend or vacation camping, picnicking, hunting, fishing, or swimming for all our families," she said, "but we should also plan neighborhood parks for daily use and adequate open space to counterbalance land used for industry, housing, and highways.", Lifetime Commitment , A true pioneer in preservation, Leah was a major force in the passage of a 1958 bill to purchase public recreation and conservation land. More than 40 years of commitment to the state park system have earned Leah the title of "First Lady of Parks." When she was appointed to the State Park Commission in 1964, Delaware had only four state parks: Fort Delaware, Trap Pond, Brandywine Springs, and Lums Pond. Leah had the satisfaction of being part of that commission and its successor, the Parks and Recreation Council, as it met its goal of acquiring nine state parks by 1980. Today, there are 13 state parks, in large part due to dedicated citizens like Leah., [Captions:] , In addition to its historic heritage, the area surrounding Fort DuPont is an important natural resource, providing irreplaceable nesting habitat for migratory wading birds and offering an array of recreational opportunities., Following a succession of fortifications during the Civil War and the Spanish-American War, Fort DuPont became a training base for troops during World War I and housed German prisoners of war during World War II., Leah believes strongly that human interests should be balanced with preservation of wildlife and natural habitat. "We need to manage our parklands in the best environmental way we can. The wildlife was here before we humans came in."