Delaware News


DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police make arrests for hunting and trespassing on closed DelDOT properties

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | Department of Transportation | Division of Fish and Wildlife | Date Posted: Friday, November 22, 2019



DelDOT’s created wetlands are closed to public access including hunting as are many other state lands.

DOVER – DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers this week concluded multiple trespassing to hunt investigations, resulting in two separate arrests of individuals charged with hunting and trespassing on closed Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) properties.

On Nov. 14, Christopher Kinne, 50, of Lancaster, Pa., was charged with one count of trespassing to hunt when making his way to a deer stand with a crossbow on DelDOT property located off of Route 1 south of the Leipsic River near Smyrna. As a result of the arrest, a Barnett Ghost 420 crossbow with quiver and bolt was confiscated as evidence. Kinne was released, pending a mandatory appearance in Kent County Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Dover.

On Nov. 17, Robert Unruh, 45, of Townsend, was charged with one count each of hunting on a state game refuge, hunting deer with the aid of illegal bait, and failure to display required hunter orange during a firearms deer season on a DelDOT property located east of Route 1 and north of Blackbird Creek near Townsend. Unruh was fined $379, including court costs and released.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police again remind the public that certain state-owned properties are closed to the public, including numerous created wetland sites established by DelDOT to offset environmental impacts from transportation projects throughout the state. These created wetlands are protected properties closely monitored to evaluate how well they are becoming established and whether they meet environmental standards. Any damage to these sites as a result of trespassing or other activities – such as illegally erecting stands or clearing vegetation for hunting, or using the sites for other outdoor recreation activities – may impact DelDOT’s compliance with state and federal environmental permit requirements.

“No trespassing” signage is posted at these sites, with additional signage being installed on DelDOT properties to inform the public. Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police are patrolling these sites to help achieve awareness and compliance.

Media contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9086 or 302-382-7167; or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Like Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, www.facebook.com/pages/Delaware-Fish-Wildlife-Natural-Resources-Police.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

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DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police make arrests for hunting and trespassing on closed DelDOT properties

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | Department of Transportation | Division of Fish and Wildlife | Date Posted: Friday, November 22, 2019



DelDOT’s created wetlands are closed to public access including hunting as are many other state lands.

DOVER – DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers this week concluded multiple trespassing to hunt investigations, resulting in two separate arrests of individuals charged with hunting and trespassing on closed Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) properties.

On Nov. 14, Christopher Kinne, 50, of Lancaster, Pa., was charged with one count of trespassing to hunt when making his way to a deer stand with a crossbow on DelDOT property located off of Route 1 south of the Leipsic River near Smyrna. As a result of the arrest, a Barnett Ghost 420 crossbow with quiver and bolt was confiscated as evidence. Kinne was released, pending a mandatory appearance in Kent County Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Dover.

On Nov. 17, Robert Unruh, 45, of Townsend, was charged with one count each of hunting on a state game refuge, hunting deer with the aid of illegal bait, and failure to display required hunter orange during a firearms deer season on a DelDOT property located east of Route 1 and north of Blackbird Creek near Townsend. Unruh was fined $379, including court costs and released.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police again remind the public that certain state-owned properties are closed to the public, including numerous created wetland sites established by DelDOT to offset environmental impacts from transportation projects throughout the state. These created wetlands are protected properties closely monitored to evaluate how well they are becoming established and whether they meet environmental standards. Any damage to these sites as a result of trespassing or other activities – such as illegally erecting stands or clearing vegetation for hunting, or using the sites for other outdoor recreation activities – may impact DelDOT’s compliance with state and federal environmental permit requirements.

“No trespassing” signage is posted at these sites, with additional signage being installed on DelDOT properties to inform the public. Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police are patrolling these sites to help achieve awareness and compliance.

Media contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9086 or 302-382-7167; or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Like Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, www.facebook.com/pages/Delaware-Fish-Wildlife-Natural-Resources-Police.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

-End-

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  , , , , ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.