GEORGETOWN, Del. – The Delaware Forest Service is closing a picnic pavilion and adjacent parking lot at Redden State Forest due to persistent criminal activity at the site, located on the Jester Tract at Camp Road and Redden Road north of Georgetown, Sussex County.

Designed by Delaware’s first state forester William S. Taber and constructed by conservation work crews in 1936, the rustic and historic pavilion has now become a magnet for lewd conduct, drugs, and other offenses that have occasionally startled and kept away other visitors. While agency officials have no specific timetable for reopening, they plan to use the closure period for renovations and security upgrades that could again allow for public access at the site.

“We sincerely regret having to close this area to the public. However, we do not believe we can keep the facility open in light of the ongoing illegal activity and resulting concerns about public safety,” said Kyle Hoyd, Delaware’s assistant state forester. “The pavilion and parking lot will now be off-limits indefinitely. Anyone found on the premises will be subject to criminal prosecution for trespassing, in addition to other offenses. We plan to reassess the situation in the future while using this time to make improvements to this historic facility so it might eventually be reopened.”

Problems with illegal activity in the area have been building for several years – part of a troublesome trend that poses law enforcement challenges, similar to activities that have occurred at the Wolfe Neck parking lot near the Junction and Breakwater Trail in Rehoboth Beach and lewd conduct at the C&D Canal Wildlife Area in New Castle County. However, despite increased enforcement efforts, the ongoing pattern of activity at Redden State Forest has prompted officials to finally close the area to the public.

Covering more than 12,400 acres, Redden State Forest is the largest of Delaware’s three state forests and remains a popular location for horseback riding, outdoor activities, and hunting – regularly ranking as one of the top deer harvest sites in the entire First State. Redden’s Headquarters Tract also features three structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the Horse Barn, Ranger’s House, and Redden Forest Lodge, which date from the turn of the 20th Century.

Contact: Kyle Hoyd, Delaware Forest Service
(302) 698-4548 kyle.hoyd@delaware.gov

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Attorney General Matt Denn along with the attorneys general of 48 states and the District of Columbia Tuesday announced a settlement with Colorado-based The Western Union Company (“Western Union”) to resolve a multistate investigation focused on complaints of consumers who used Western Union’s wire transfer service to send money to third parties involved in schemes to defraud consumers.

The settlement requires Western Union to develop and put into action a comprehensive anti-fraud program designed to help detect and prevent incidents where consumers who have been the victims of fraud use Western Union to wire money to scam artists.

Criminal scams that involve wiring money include: lottery and contest scams in which consumers are told they have won a large sum of money but must first wire money to pay required taxes or fees before receiving their winnings; “grandparent scams” in which a consumer believes his or her loved one is in immediate danger and needs money right away; and romance scams in which someone poses as a love interest and then soon begins asking consumers to send money for various reasons, such as medical emergencies, car accidents, muggings, and emergency travel.

“Consumers who receive solicitations from strangers promising big winnings should toss those letters in the trash, delete the e-mail or hang up the phone,” Attorney General Denn said. “And consumers who meet someone online should be cautious about wiring money, particularly if meeting in person has never taken place. Unfortunately, some victims send money multiple times to the scam artist before realizing they have been duped.”

That anti-fraud program, which Western Union has agreed to evaluate and update as warranted, includes the following elements:

• Anti-fraud warnings on send forms that consumers use to wire money;
• Mandatory and appropriate training and education for Western Union’s agents about fraud-induced wire transfers;
• Heightened anti-fraud procedures when warranted by circumstances such as increased fraud complaints;
• Due diligence checks on Western Union agents who process money transfers;
• Monitoring of Western Union agent activity related to prevention of fraud-induced money transfers; and
• Prompt and appropriate disciplinary action against Western Union agents who fail to follow required protocols concerning anti-fraud measures.

Victims of fraud induced wire transfers nationwide, including Delaware victims, will receive refunds as part of a settlement between Western Union and the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice that was announced on January 19, 2017. In that settlement, Western Union will pay $586 million to a fund that the U.S. Department of Justice will administer to provide refunds to consumers. In the settlement with the states announced Tuesday, Western Union will pay a total of $5 million to be split among the states for the states’ costs and fees associated with the investigations that led to the settlements, with Delaware receiving $43,630 for the state Consumer Protection Fund.

Delaware Department of Justice Consumer Protection Director and Deputy Attorney General Christian Wright worked on the investigation for Delaware.

Information about the federal settlement is available at here, and information about the victim compensation process will be made available here.

Snow Goose Conservation Order closed for youth hunt

DOVER – To promote and provide additional hunting opportunities for youth hunters, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife has designated Saturday, Feb. 11 as the second of two special youth waterfowl hunting days for ages 10 through 15 to be held on both public and private lands during the 2016/17 hunting season.*

“These special youth hunting days are an excellent opportunity for experienced adult hunters to share their knowledge and experience with the next generation, thereby continuing one of Delaware’s great conservation and outdoor recreation traditions,” said David Saveikis, DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Director. “Hunting is an exciting outdoor activity for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy.”

Normal daily waterfowl bag limits and hunting regulations apply on youth waterfowl hunting days for the harvest of ducks, snow geese and Canada geese. On state wildlife areas, a lottery drawing for waterfowl blinds will be held 1.5 hours before legal shooting time at Augustine, Cedar Swamp, Woodland Beach, Ted Harvey and Assawoman wildlife areas; the lottery will be held two hours before legal shooting time at the Little Creek Wildlife Area. Hunters should plan to arrive in time to sign up for the drawing. All other state wildlife areas that do not have lotteries but allow waterfowl hunting are also open on youth waterfowl hunting day. Hunters also should check each wildlife area’s rules before hunting. To promote youth hunting, the Division is waiving blind fees for youth hunters on state wildlife areas on youth hunting days. Blind fees apply at all other times.

Youth hunters must be of sufficient physical size and strength to safely handle a firearm, and must be accompanied by a licensed or license-exempt adult hunter age 21 or older who cannot possess a firearm during the youth waterfowl hunt. Youth hunters age 13 through 15 must have completed a hunter education course, obtained a hunter education certification card and purchased a Delaware junior hunting license, which costs $5. Youth hunters age 10 through 12 must possess a License Exempt Number (LEN) and may take a hunter education course. Youth waterfowl hunters under the age of 16 must also have a federally-required Delaware Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. No state or federal waterfowl stamps are required for youth hunters.

Delaware hunting licenses are sold online, at the licensing desk in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, and by license agents statewide. To find a participating agent, or to purchase a license online, visit Delaware Licenses. LEN and HIP numbers can be obtained through the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Hunter and Trapper Registration System (HTR). This free, easy-to-use system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To use the HTR system, please visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov/delhunt. If you prefer to talk to a live customer service representative, please call 855-DELHUNT (855-335-4868).

For more information on hunting in Delaware, click Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guide also is available in printed form at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk and from license agents throughout the state.

*Reminder: The Snow Goose Conservation Order will be closed Feb. 11 on the youth waterfowl hunt day due to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service restrictions not allowing the Snow Goose Conservation Order to be open during waterfowl hunting seasons. The Conservation Order will be in effect Monday, Feb. 6 through Friday, Feb. 10 and Monday, Feb. 13 through Friday, April 7.

This program is part of Delaware’s Children in Nature Initiative, a statewide effort to improve environmental literacy in Delaware, create opportunities for children to participate in enriching outdoor experiences, combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles. Delaware’s multi-agency initiative, which partners state and federal agencies with community organizations, is part of the national No Child Left Inside program.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 47, No. 26

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School registration due by Feb. 10 for event on April 27

DOVER – Delaware middle school students are encouraged to test their model car engineering skills and power up their solar panels for the 23rd annual Junior Solar Sprint race – a statewide challenge of creativity, engineering and speed that will culminate Thursday, April 27 with a day of racing at the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington. Co-sponsored by DNREC’s Division of Energy & Climate and the Delaware Student Technology Association (TSA), the state’s Junior Solar Sprint competition is part of the National Junior Solar Sprint program sponsored by the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program.

The deadline for team registration is Friday, Feb. 10. Delaware middle schools – 5th through 8th grade students – are invited to register one or two teams for the Junior Solar Sprint race, with two to four students on each team. The Division of Energy & Climate will provide each participating team with a materials kit including wheels, a motor and a solar panel that converts the sun’s energy into electric power. Over several weeks, team members use these standard materials to design and build their own unique cars. Awards will be presented for the fastest time, as well as for design creativity.

“Junior Solar Sprint presents a hands-on, multidisciplinary exercise in renewable energy education that encourages teamwork and fosters student interest in STEM fields – science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said Energy Program Administrator Rob Underwood, Division of Energy & Climate. “Junior Solar Sprint has been a Delaware tradition for more than 20 years, allowing students to flex their creative ingenuity and apply real-world problem solving in a fun and educational atmosphere.”

Full rules, guidelines and registration forms can be found on the Division of Energy & Climate’s renewable energy webpage, or the Delaware TSA State Conference webpage. Schools are not required to have a TSA chapter in order to participate. Interested educators can send their registration forms by email to mailto:Caren.Fitzgerald@delaware.govor by U.S. mail to: DNREC Division of Energy & Climate, 100 West Water Street, Suite 5A, Dover, DE 19904. For more information, email or call Caren Fitzgerald at 302-735-3480.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

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DOVER – With the 2016/17 deer hunting seasons closing Tuesday, Jan. 31, hunters who have placed portable deer stands on state wildlife areas are reminded that all stands must be removed no later than 48 hours after the season ends. Any stands that remain on wildlife areas after Thursday, Feb. 2 will become the property of the Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife.

Wildlife area rules were changed for the 2016/17 hunting season to provide hunters with additional opportunities by allowing temporary placement of portable deer stands on certain wildlife areas for the duration of the season. Previously, portable deer stands had to be carried in and out of wildlife areas daily.

“State wildlife areas are available for the use and enjoyment of everyone,” said Craig Rhoads, Habitat Conservation and Management program manager, Division of Fish & Wildlife. “To ensure the safety of wildlife area users to avoid impeding wildlife management activities and for hunters to avoid loss of their property, it is important that all temporary deer stands are removed promptly,” Rhoads said.

Under the revised rules for use of temporary, portable deer stands on state wildlife areas, no parts of these stands can be nailed or bolted to a tree. Hunters also are prohibited from cutting any vegetation or branches in order to hang a stand or to clear shooting paths. Hunters may set up their stands any time after Aug. 25. Placement of a stand on a wildlife area does not give the stand owner any exclusive rights to hunting a particular location.

For more information, contact the Division of Fish & Wildlife at 302-739-9912.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 47, No. 24

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