Three Delaware species ranked as Tier 1 Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the 2025 Delaware Wildlife Action Plan clockwise from left:
Purple Pitcher Plant, Hooded Warbler and Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly. /Delaware DNREC and US Fish and Wildlife Service photos 

Plan Becomes State’s Conservation Blueprint for Wildlife Diversity and Enables Federal
Funding from USFWS’s State Wildlife Grant Program for the Next Decade – Through 2035

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has given formal approval to Delaware’s 2025 Wildlife Action Plan (DEWAP) after the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife submitted the plan last fall for federal review and revision. The USFWS officially notified DNREC this week that Delaware may begin using the 2025 DEWAP to guide conservation efforts for the state’s wildlife and their habitats through 2035.

Over the past three years, the Division of Fish and Wildlife and DNREC’s conservation partners have worked with wildlife experts, other key stakeholders and the public throughout the state and region gathering input to develop and revise the wildlife action plan. Required for Delaware to remain eligible for the USFWS’s State Wildlife Grant Program funding, the 2025 plan assesses Delaware’s species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) and their habitats, identifies the challenges they face, and outlines actions needed for conserving them.

“The 2025 wildlife action plan revision applies a balanced and comprehensive approach to wildlife conservation where we strive for the principle of keeping common species common and healthy ecosystems healthy at all levels, from small local communities to broader national and international efforts,” said Division of Fish and Wildlife Director Patrick Emory. “The plan exemplifies how we can adjust our approach and renew our commitment, in terms of human resources and funding, to the wildlife resources we are responsible for.”

At the heart of the 2025 revision is an effort to make the plan more accessible, by web-enabling its contents, providing public access to a searchable database, and displaying maps of important habitats. This revision makes the Delaware Wildlife Action Plan easy to reach for and use by DNREC’s conservation partners, planners, state and local agencies, and the public. The complete plan, database, and habitat explorer are available at the de.gov/dewap webpage.

Working with stakeholders, DNREC has identified and prioritized the fish, wildlife and associated habitats most in need of conservation. Each state determines its own SGCN list, based on criteria such as global and state rarity, endangered status at the state or federal level, and designation as a Northeast Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need. (Delaware is classified as belonging to the USFWS’s Northeast Region.) Each species is further categorized into Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3, with the tiers reflecting the urgency and level of conservation need.

A key 2025 DEWAP update to the SGCN list is the inclusion of 326 plants, bringing the total number of SGCN to 1,019 species. In addition to addressing the conservation needs of rare and uncommon species, the plan also identifies actions to keep common species common by recommending conservation efforts throughout Delaware that can be undertaken by public and private partners over the next decade.

As wildlife conservation moves forward in the 21st century, there is an overarching need for vigilance in recognizing changes in wildlife populations and habitats, in addressing both existing and emerging threats and issues facing the state’s wildlife resources and in developing the adaptive capacity to identify and implement a variety of management techniques to address conservation challenges through effective and measurable outcomes. Threats from climate change, including impacts from sea level rise, have come to the forefront of the issues faced by many wildlife populations and habitats. For Delaware, this plan identifies threats against and actions to be taken on behalf of the state’s species of greatest conservation need and their habitats – and takes a significant step forward in continuing to address the future of Delaware’s wildlife populations and habitats.

“This plan took all of the tremendous effort that went into the 2015 plan, builds on our conservation successes with it, and charts a path forward to guide fish and wildlife conservation in Delaware for the next decade,” said DNREC Wildlife Section Administrator Joe Rogerson. “Most importantly, scientists, hunters, anglers, conservationists and all other stakeholders will have an opportunity to work together to implement conservation actions and strive to address and mitigate threats that face Delaware’s valuable wildlife resources.”

As begun by the 2005 plan submission and continuing with the 2015 revision that succeeded it, the 2025 Delaware Wildlife Action Plan directs the Division of Fish and Wildlife to plan effectively for wildlife diversity now and prepare to adapt to future dynamic wildlife populations, habitats, threats and actions, rather than remain static and regret opportunities to act as stewards of Delaware’s natural heritage.

The strategies outlined and revised in the plan can culminate in a continued funding source for wildlife diversity and serve as a roadmap for future operational plans. In short, DEWAP enables an opportunity for DNREC to successfully meet a formidable challenge by collaborating with our conservation partners and colleagues at all levels of public and private participation to advance the cause of wildlife conservation and species preservation for Delaware’s future.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities, and educates Delawareans about the environment. The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on more than 75,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov 

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