DNREC to Host Virtual Meeting on Deauville Beach Management Transition and New Entrance Fee Proposal

Deauville Beach will become part of the Cape Henlopen State Park management unit. DNREC will provide lifeguards, parking, beach concessions, tennis courts, public restrooms and beach maintenance. /Delaware DNREC photo

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will host a virtual community meeting Wednesday, March 27, at 6 p.m., to present information about the transition of management for Deauville Beach from the city of Rehoboth Beach. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation will share a proposal for daily entrance fees and seasonal pass for use of Deauville Beach. A list of frequently asked questions is available at www.destateparks.com

Deauville Beach includes an approximately 600-yard section of state-owned beach between Rehoboth Beach and the Henlopen Acres neighborhood. The Division of Parks and Recreation has assumed management of Deauville Beach for the 2024 season. DNREC and the city of Rehoboth Beach mutually agreed to the change in operations after they were not able to negotiate an extension of a previous lease of the beach to the city, which expired on June 30, 2023.

Deauville Beach will become part of the Cape Henlopen State Park management unit, which includes Gordon’s Pond, Beach Plum, Angola Neck and Cape Henlopen proper.

DNREC will provide lifeguards, parking, beach concessions, tennis courts, public restrooms and beach maintenance.

To join the March 27 virtual meeting, go to de.gov/dnrecmeetings.

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 Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.


Parks Plans Wind Transmission Line Informational Event

Displays Will Highlight Construction’s Potential Impact on Recreation

Residents will have an opportunity to learn about recreational impacts of US Wind’s proposal to bring power lines from its offshore wind project ashore at 3Rs Beach in Delaware Seashore State Park during a public engagement event March 12.

US Wind’s projects, MarWin and Momentum Wind, entail the installation of up to 121 turbines. In December, Gov. John Carney announced the start of formal negotiations with US Wind for the potential lease of state land at 3Rs Beach to deliver power from the turbines to the regional electrical grid. For the March 12 meeting:

  • The information session is only about potential lease to allow the underground cables at 3Rs, including the construction plan and what will be visible to park users after construction.
  • The meeting will not cover or take comment about the wind turbines themselves and other possible parts of transmission lines, which are subject to other federal state permitting processes that have had or will have future opportunity for public comment.

The US Wind Projects are currently going through a federal permitting process that is separate from any state process, and the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is currently considering input from a recent public comment process on the project’s environmental impact. Should the projects proceed, state environmental permits will also be required.

Shawn M. Garvin, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), said the Department is committed to engaging the public to the greatest extent possible throughout the project’s development.

“US Wind’s proposal to bring transmission lines ashore in Delaware, along with Gov. Carney’s announcement about negotiating a potential lease, have generated considerable public interest,” Secretary Garvin said. “While the formal permitting process is ongoing, this public engagement event provides us an opportunity to share how this discrete portion of project will impact recreational aspects at the park.”

Ray Bivens, Director of DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation, said Parks staff will be available throughout the 4-hour event to answer questions. Visitors can arrive at any time during the event to browse the displays and ask questions.

“While the scope of this event is limited to sharing information about the impact of recreational activities at the park and, specifically, the parking lot where construction is anticipated to be taking place, we believe park visitors will benefit from the information being presented,” Director Bivens said.

Visitors will be able to browse informational posters showing the existing parking area that will be impacted, inground-infrastructure, impact during construction, the proposed construction area and any anticipated restrictions on recreational access during the construction period.

The timeline and Web addresses for related future public meetings, as well as how and where to sign up for public notices and press releases, will also be available.

The public engagement event will take place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, at Bethany Beach Town Hall, 214 Garfield Parkway, Bethany Beach.

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 Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Nikki Lavoie, nikki.lavoie@delaware.gov; Jim Lee, jamesw.lee@delaware.gov

###


Delaware State Parks Fee Season Begins March 1

Annual passes are a convenient way to access Delaware State Parks for the entire fee season, which lasts from March 1 through Nov. 30 annually. The 2024 Delaware State Parks annual passes feature kayaking through a stand of baldcypress trees at Trap Pond State Park.

 

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control reminds visitors to Delaware State Parks that 2024 entrance fees will be in effect starting Friday, March 1 through Nov. 30.

State park entrance fees for vehicles registered in Delaware are $4 at inland parks and $5 at ocean parks. Fees for out-of-state vehicles are $8 at inland parks and $10 at ocean parks. Entrance fees will remain in effect through Nov. 30, which is the normal fee season end date.

Daily park entrance fees may be paid via credit-card machine at most park locations, where fee attendants are on duty or via self-registration envelopes provided at park entrances that are then placed in designated secured drop boxes.

Annual passes are a convenient way to access Delaware State Parks for the entire fee season. Multiple types of annual passes are available, including resident, non-resident, active-duty military and veterans. Those who purchase annual passes online will receive a virtual pass that can be used up to 30 days from the date of purchase until the actual pass is received via mail.

Residents who receive certain types of public assistance can contact their case worker(s) for an assistance pass at a discount. Active duty military personnel who are stationed in Delaware also qualify for pass at a reduced rate, and all public libraries in Delaware offer an annual pass that can be checked out for free by library cardholders.

The Delaware State Parks corporate and group annual pass gives employers and groups a way to promote health and wellness. This pass provides employees and groups, including athletic teams, with discounted annual passes for statewide park access all season long. It also includes exclusive benefits for end-of-the-year outings and personal discounts for camping or cottage stays.

Annual and two-year surf fishing permits provide year-round drive-on access, including peak weekends and holidays. Off-peak surf fishing permits provide year-round access, excluding peak weekends and holidays from May through Labor Day weekend. Both surf fishing permit decals enable the vehicle to gain entrance into the other state parks without paying the daily entrance fee.

A reservation will be required for permitted vehicles to access any of the seven Delaware State Parks multi-use drive-on beaches during peak time periods. Reservations open weekly for the upcoming weekend, starting in May, online at the Delaware State Parks reservations page or via phone at 800-499-8221.

Revenue generated from sales of passes and permits is used to manage 17 state parks, the Brandywine Zoo and more than 26,500 acres of state park lands. Park users generate 70% of the revenue utilized to operate and maintain the parks. The revenue is used for trail maintenance, environmental and recreational programs, visitor amenities, guarded beaches, management of campgrounds, cabins and more.

The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation, which will soon assume management of the state-owned Deauville Beach from the city of Rehoboth, is evaluating the fee structure for that area. Given the timing for the management transition, fees will not yet be charged to utilize Deauville Beach until later this spring. More information will be shared publicly as it becomes available.

To purchase an annual pass or surf fishing permit, go to www.destateparks.com/Know/PassesTagsFees.

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 Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Shauna McVey, shauna.mcvey@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

###


Controlled Burn at Brandywine Creek State Park Aims to Boost Native Wildlife and Plant Growth

 DNREC uses controlled, or prescribed, burns to manage meadows and create more suitable habitats for native species like, clockwise from left, the monarch butterfly, common yellowthroat bird, eastern bluebird and orange sulphur butterfly. DNREC Photos

 

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is working with the Delaware Department of Agriculture to execute a controlled burn at Brandywine Creek State Park in February or March. This prescribed burn will help manage nearly 30 acres of meadowland near the park’s nature center.

While much of the natural area managed by the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation is forested, Brandywine Creek State Park is known for its vast meadowland views divided by blue gneiss stone walls. The last controlled burn at BCSP was held in 2013.

Prescribed burning is a meadow management technique, which mimics natural fire and is used periodically in place of annual mowing, to halt progression of meadowland so it does not become a forest. Additionally, this controlled burn should encourage the growth of native wildflowers and warm season grasses. This plant growth creates more suitable habitats for nesting grassland birds like the eastern bluebird and common yellowthroat, native pollinator insects like the orange sulphur and monarch butterflies, and other grassland-dependent animals.

The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation is coordinating with DNREC’s Division of Air Quality and the DDA Forest Service to perform the burn on a single day, to be determined by weather, personnel availability and open burning approval. BCSP will be closed on the date of the burn and the exact date will be announced on the park’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, once it is known.

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 Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Shauna McVey, shauna.mcvey@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

###


DNREC to Assume Management of Deauville Beach

 DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation will assume management of the state-owned Deauville Beach and continue all services currently being provided.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that it will assume day-to-day management of Deauville Beach from the city of Rehoboth Beach for the 2024 season. DNREC and the city of Rehoboth Beach were not able to reach an agreement through negotiations after the city’s current lease of the beach property Deauville Beach expired on June 30, 2023, and mutually agreed to the change.

DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation will assume management of the state-owned beach and continue all services currently being provided including tennis court rentals, beach concession operations and ocean lifeguarding. The division is working cooperatively with the city on a transition plan. The award-winning Delaware State Beach Patrol will provide lifeguard service from Saturday, May 25 through Monday, Sept. 2.

A daily entrance fee will be in effect between March 1 and Nov. 30 annually. The division is currently assessing and reviewing the fee structure.

Deauville Beach was initially leased to the City of Rehoboth Beach by the state of Delaware in 1975. The land will be part of the Cape Henlopen State Park management unit.

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 Parks and Recreation oversees more than 26,000 acres in 17 state parks and the Brandywine Zoo. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

 Media Contacts: Shauna McVey, shauna.mcvey@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

###