Reminder for the week: State wildlife areas, forests monitored for criminal activity

DOVER – To achieve public compliance through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Feb. 20-26 made 1,410 contacts with anglers, hunters, boaters and the general public, including 57 vessel boardings for boating safety, hunting and fishing regulation compliance checks, issuing 23 citations. Officers responded to 34 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public. An increased Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence continued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and associated recreational trail.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police in the Community

• On Feb. 23, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers attended a career fair at Smyrna High School, where they displayed the Operation Game Theft Trailer and presented information on Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police careers.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Incident of note:
• On Feb. 24, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers in New Castle and Kent Counties conducted targeted patrols of the state wildlife areas. Fifteen individuals were cited at multiple wildlife areas for trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area. Fines for each individual were $107, including court costs.

Citations issued by category, with the number of charges in parentheses, included:

Wildlife Conservation: Hunt gray squirrel out of season (1), and illegal sale of wildlife parts (1).

Public Safety: Possession of marijuana (2).

Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (18), and dumping on a state wildlife area (1).

Are you AWARE?
Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind visitors to state wildlife areas, fishing ponds, boat ramps and piers and to state forests that these areas are multiple-use public recreational areas monitored for criminal activity. State forests are also monitored by Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police.

“Public use of state-owned wildlife areas and hunting, boating and fishing access areas and of state forests is intended for law-abiding anglers, boaters, hunters, birdwatchers and other outdoor enthusiasts to enjoy appropriate recreational outdoor activities,” said Sgt. John McDerby, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police. “Criminal activities are not tolerated in these areas, including trespassing after hours, vandalism, drug and excessive alcohol use, illegal weapon possession or use and inappropriate public sexual conduct. Those caught abusing and misusing these areas through illegal activities will be prosecuted.”

The following rules also apply to Division of Fish & Wildlife properties:
• State wildlife areas, fishing piers and boat launching facilities and state forests are closed to the public from sunset to sunrise unless a person is actively and lawfully engaged in fishing, hunting or boating in accordance with state regulations and individual area rules.
• Operating motor vehicles – including motorcycles, cars, trucks and SUVs – off established roadways in state wildlife areas is illegal.
• Operating a motor vehicle that is not licensed for use on established public roadways – including ATVs – is prohibited both on and off-road on state wildlife areas.
• Camping, swimming, target shooting (including paintball), fires, dumping and littering are prohibited in state wildlife areas.
• Dog training is permitted only within established dog training areas or during open hunting seasons for the game animals that the dog is being trained to hunt.
• Hunting is permitted only in specified areas and only during designated hunting seasons.
• Firearms are prohibited on state wildlife areas from March 1 to Aug. 31, except during legal hunting seasons or as authorized by the Division of Fish & Wildlife.
• All of these sites have a carry-in, carry-out trash policy.

For more information on individual wildlife areas, including the rules and regulations specific to each wildlife area, wildlife area visitors are encouraged to review Delaware wildlife area maps. These maps are available in hard copy at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk in the Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, and online at Delaware Wildlife Area Maps.

For more information on state forest rules and regulations, please visit State Forest Regulations.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters and boaters who comply with and support Delaware’s fishing, hunting and boating laws and regulations. Citizens are encouraged to report fish, wildlife and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at http://de.gov/ogt.

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.

Media contact: Sgt. John McDerby, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913 or 302-354-1386.

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Volunteers sought for spring cleanup day March 11

DOVER – The DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve, a DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife facility located in the heart of Delaware’s Bayshore Region, will reopen Saturday, April 1 after being closed for the winter. The center will operate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays through the end of April. From May 1 through Aug. 31, spring and summer hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays. For the month of September, the center will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays only.

Prior to opening day, the DuPont Nature Center will hold a volunteer spring cleanup day from 1-4 p.m. Saturday, March 11. Projects include exhibit and tank set-up, deck maintenance, clearing sand/debris from sidewalks, planting beach grass and cleaning the center and the surrounding grounds. Volunteers under age 18 must provide a parental consent form, and volunteers under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, contact Lynne Pusey at lynne.pusey@delaware.gov or 302-422-1329.

The center also will be hosting a volunteer orientation from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, April 9. The orientation will be for both new and previous volunteers interested in participating in activities at the nature center. Staff will review volunteer opportunities and procedures at the center and volunteers will learn about horseshoe crabs, shorebirds and some of the other aquatic species in the Mispillion Harbor. For more information or to sign up for the orientation, contact Lynne Pusey at lynne.pusey@delaware.govor 302-422-1329.

Located on the edge of Mispillion Harbor at the intersection of the mouths of the Mispillion River and Cedar Creek, the DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve offers a variety of interactive exhibits and educational programs. Indoor freshwater and saltwater tanks allow a close-up look at a variety of aquatic species, from horseshoe crabs to diamondback terrapins.

In the spring, the center’s large deck overlooking the harbor offers wildlife watchers an unparalleled view of the spectacle of spawning horseshoe crabs and migrating shorebirds, including red knots that depend on horseshoe crab eggs to help fuel their 9,000-mile journey.

The DuPont Nature Center is located at 2992 Lighthouse Road, near Slaughter Beach, east of Milford. The center is open to the public and admission is free. For general information about the center, please call 302-422-1329 or visit DuPont Nature Center. For inquiries about the center’s programs and operations, please contact Lynne Pusey, lynne.pusey@delaware.govor 302-422-1329.

The DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve supports DNREC’s Delaware Bayshore Initiative, a landscape approach to restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat, increase volunteer participation in habitat stewardship projects, enhance low-impact outdoor recreation and ecotourism opportunities, and promote associated environmentally compatible economic development. For more information, click Delaware Bayshore.

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

Vol. 47, No. 52

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Sunday deer hunting participation boosts record harvest

DOVER – Delaware hunters harvested 14,742 deer during the 2016/17 hunting season, surpassing 2015/16’s record of 14,681 deer taken, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today. This season marks the seventh time within the last 12 years the deer harvest has exceeded 14,000 since Delaware’s first modern-day deer season was held in 1954.

Sussex County had the highest harvest with 7,675 deer, followed by Kent County with 4,397 and New Castle County with 2,670.

With Sunday deer hunting allowed in the state for the first time, a total of 1,170 deer were harvested on the five Sundays open to deer hunting on private lands and Division of Fish & Wildlife public wildlife areas.

“Sunday deer hunting provided additional hunting opportunities and another tool to help manage Delaware’s robust deer population,” said Division Fish & Wildlife Director David Saveikis. “Sunday deer hunting occurred throughout the state without any notable conflict thanks to hunter ethics, including on division public wildlife areas where different outdoor recreational activities were compatibly managed.”

“We are analyzing how Sunday deer hunting contributed to the overall harvest,” said Division Wildlife Biologist Emily Boyd. “Preliminary analysis of this year’s deer harvest surpassing last year’s total strongly suggests that the five Sundays helped achieve the record harvest, despite less than ideal weather during some of the more popular hunting weekends.”

During the 2016/17 season, hunters harvested more females (does) than males (bucks), with 51.3 percent (7,556) does and 48.7 percent (7,186) bucks. Antlerless deer – does, juvenile bucks without antlers known as button bucks, antlered bucks with antlers measuring less than three inches and bucks that had already shed both of their antlers when harvested – represented 67.9 percent of the total harvest.

In addition to the new statewide harvest record, several other deer records were set by hunters this past season:

• Kent County: 4,397 deer harvested
• Antlered bucks harvested in a single season: 4,729
• Total bucks harvested in a single season: 7,186

“Many hunters enjoyed success this year as indicated by the total harvest as well as several new records set, and we fully expect hunters to continue to enjoy Delaware’s deer hunting opportunities for years to come,” said Wildlife Section Administrator Rob Hossler. “As we continue to analyze the harvest data, we anticipate finding other harvest records that were broken this past season and will share those on the Division of Fish & Wildlife website when they become available.”

For more information about the Delaware deer harvest or other deer-related information, please contact Emily Boyd at 302-735-3600, or visit the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s Delaware Deer Information webpage. Additional harvest data will be available on this webpage at a later date following more detailed analysis of the harvest data.

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

Vol. 47, No. 50

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DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation reminds visitors to Delaware’s state parks that entrance fees are back in effect, being collected through Nov. 30, 2017.

Revenue generated from park entrance fees is used to manage 16 state parks and more than 26,000 acres of state park lands. Delaware’s state parks are primarily self-funded, with 65 percent of revenue to operate and maintain the parks generated by park users. The revenue is used for trail maintenance, environmental and recreational programs, visitor amenities, guarded beaches, management of campgrounds, cabins and more.

The entrance fees remain unchanged from last year. However the annual pass has a new look. For the first time, the passes will adhere to the outside of the windshield. “So many of our park visitors had difficulty removing the pass, and tinted windows made it challenging for fee booth attendants and park rangers to see the pass,” said Division Park Administrator Mary Voshell. “It was time for the Division to move the pass to the outside of the windshields.”

Daily 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.

Where fee attendants are not on duty, visitors should deposit the daily fee in the self-registration envelopes provided at park entrances and place them in the designated secured drop boxes.

“Staff in the DNREC Division of Parks & Recreation understand the significance of each person paying a park entrance fee to support the operation and maintenance of the parks,” said Ray Bivens, director of the Division of Parks & Recreation. “It’s especially rewarding to be recognized as the 2016-17 National Gold Medal Award winner for excellence in the field of park and recreation management, a reflection of our parks staff’s commitment to providing quality customer service to park visitors.”

Annual passes are a convenient way to access the parks for the entire fee season. “For just $35, Delaware residents can enjoy unlimited park visits to get their children outdoors and visit the parks with friends and family,” Bivens added. “I want to thank all those who support our efforts to preserve and protect open space, improve services and expand recreational opportunities.”

For individuals 62 and older with Delaware license plates, annual passes cost $18. Seniors with an out-of-state registered vehicle pay $35. A $65 Lifetime Pass is available for Delawareans 65 and older. Reduced rates are also offered to Delawareans who receive public assistance, are active duty military or veterans.  Active duty military personnel with an out-of-state license plate can purchase an annual pass at the in-state rate.  Please visit www.destateparks.com  for further information and requirements.

In addition, the new Corporate Pass program offers participating businesses, nonprofits and other groups discounted annual passes for their employees. “These passes give employers a way to promote health and wellness in the workplace, while providing employees with a benefit they can feel good about,” said Bivens. For more information or to purchase corporate passes please contact Caroline Foltz at caroline.foltz@delaware.gov.

Vehicle entrance fees are charged at the following state parks: Alapocas Run, Bellevue, Brandywine Creek, Cape Henlopen, Beach Plum Island Nature Preserve, Delaware Seashore, Fenwick Island, Fort DuPont, Fox Point, Holts Landing, Killens Pond, Lums Pond, Trap Pond, and White Clay Creek. The Brandywine Zoo and Fort Delaware charge individual fees to enter the zoo and ride the ferry to Fort Delaware.

Parks officials remind customers that annual passes and surf fishing permits can be purchased online to save time when they visit a park during fee season. “Many times park visitors wait until they visit a park before purchasing their season pass, but this can take extra time away from enjoying the park,” Voshell added. “By purchasing the pass online, park visitors avoid the lines at the park offices.”

Annual park passes may be purchased online at www.destateparks.com, at all park offices, at DNREC’s main office in the Richardson & Robbins building at 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, and at six retail locations.

For more information visit: http://www.destateparks.com/fees/passes/index.asp

Vol. 47, No. 49

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DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship is now accepting applications from Delaware artists for participation in a rain barrel painting contest aimed at educating Delawareans on the benefits of using rain barrels to reduce rainwater runoff and improve water quality. Artists selected will be invited to paint creative designs on rain barrels that will be prominently displayed in public areas.

To enter the contest, adult artists must complete and submit an application by Friday, March 17, which includes providing a description and preliminary sketch of their design. Watershed Stewardship staff will choose participants in the contest based on their application and design ideas. Once contest participants have been selected, they will have five weeks to finish their barrel painting and submit final photographs and information requested.

Participating artists must be willing to give of their time and must provide materials, including paint and brushes or other application tools, an interpretation of their work and a short biography. In exchange, DNREC’s Watershed Assessment and Management Section will provide a fully-assembled 55-gallon plastic rain barrel with two coats of primer applied, plus cans of clear top coat. This year’s barrels have been donated by Tidewater Utilities, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery and Coca-Cola.

Photos of the finished rain barrels will be posted online for public voting at www.delawarewatersheds.org. The barrels also will be displayed at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village in Dover from May 31 through July 19. Five finalists will be chosen by online voting at www.delawarewatersheds.org. All five finalists will receive prizes. A professional judging panel will choose the grand prize winner, whose barrel will be displayed at the DNREC Building at the 2017 Delaware State Fair. The winner will also participate in Governor’s Day, Thursday, July 27 at the fair. The winning barrel will then be displayed in a prominent location to be determined.

Applications can be found at www.delawarewatersheds.org. Completed applications and sketches should be emailed to sara.wozniak@delaware.gov or sent by close of business March 17 to:
DNREC Watershed Assessment and Management Section
C/O Sara Wozniak
2430 Old County Road
Newark, DE 19702

For more information, please contact Sara Wozniak at sara.wozniak@delaware.gov or 302-382-0335.

What is a Rain Barrel?
A rain barrel is a container that collects and stores water from roofs and downspouts for uses such as watering lawns, gardens, and house plants; cleaning off gardening tools; and washing your car. Rain barrels help lower your water bills, particularly in the summer months by collecting thousands of gallons of water a year. Rain barrels are also important for our environment because they help reduce water pollution by decreasing the amount of stormwater runoff reaching our streams and rivers. An average rainfall of one inch within a 24-hour period can produce more than 700 gallons of water that run off a typical house. This stormwater runoff picks up anything on the ground such as litter, excess fertilizer, pet waste, and motor oil, transporting it to storm drains that dump the untreated water directly into our waterways.

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

Vol. 47, No. 48

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