Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Blotter: Aug. 1-14

Reminder for the week: Observe safety precautions when towing water skiers, tubers, knee-boarders

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, DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Aug. 1-14 made 4,166 contacts with anglers, boaters and the general public, including 472 vessel boardings for boating safety and fishing regulation compliance checks. Officers responded to 130 complaints and issued 102 citations. During this two week period, with an expanded Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence continuing to be deployed as a deterrent, no citations were issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and associated recreational trail.

Incidents of note:

  • On Aug. 13, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police responded to a report of a body floating in the water near the Newport Boat Ramp. The body was turned over to the state Medical Examiner’s office to determine cause of death. Delaware State Police are investigating the case.
  • On Aug. 1, following an investigation, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police arrested commercial waterman Terry R. Murray, 41, of Frankford, and charged him with 21 counts of failure to tend commercial crab pots at least once within the required 72-hour timeframe, and one count each of no commercial crabbing license, no commercial clamming license and possession of over-the-limit hard clams on Roy’s Creek west of Fenwick Island. Murray was video-arraigned and released on $2,300 unsecured bond, pending an appearance in the Sussex County Court of Common Pleas at a later date.

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

Wildlife Conservation: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (4).

Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Unlicensed fishing (7), possession of undersized blue crabs (11), recreational crab pot tampering (6), over-the-limit recreational crab pots (1), use of recreational crab pots without required turtle excluder (1), failure to tend recreational crab pots at least once within required 72-hour timeframe (1), possession of undersized striped bass (2), possession of undersized weakfish (1), possession of undersized sea bass (1), possession of undersized summer flounder (2), and possession of summer flounder parts (2).
Commercial: Failure to tend commercial crab pots at least once within required 72-hour timeframe (21), possession of over-the-limit hard clams (1), clamming without a commercial license (1), and crabbing without a commercial license (1).

Boating and Boating Safety: OUI/operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol (2), negligent operation of a vessel (3), inattentive operation of a vessel (1), careless operation of a vessel (1), failure to maintain proper lookout while towing a tuber or water skier (2), operating a vessel with insufficient number of lifejackets (2), no lifejacket on a child age 12 or younger as required by law (7), failure to observe slow-no-wake zone (4), operating an unregistered vessel (2), owner or responsible party allowing use of a non-compliant vessel (1), no sound-producing device (1), no fire extinguisher (1), no navigation lights (3), and no boating education certificate (6).

Public Safety: Possession of heroin (1), possession of marijuana (1), and passing in a no-passing zone in a motor vehicle (1).

Two DNREC press releases were issued related to Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police:

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police News, Training and Outreach

  • On Aug. 11, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police displayed the Operation Game Theft trailer at Newark’s Safe Kids Camp. Officers spoke to about 25 four- to six-year-olds about safe boating and fishing and hunting, and gave tours of the trailer, showing and explaining items taken illegally by poachers.
  • During the month of July, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police tagged more than 600 recreational crab pots on the Inland Bays in Sussex County with information on crab pot rules and to determine if the pots were being checked as required. Crabbers are reminded to review the regulations regarding use of recreational crab pots in Delaware waters. Under state law, recreational crabbers cannot tend more than two crab pots and must be present when setting their pots. Recreational crab pots cannot be placed inside navigation channels, must be tended at least once every 72 hours, have a turtle excluder installed at the entrance and be attached to an all-white float that includes a tag with the owner’s full name and address. Although not required by law, Fish & Wildlife officers recommend including a phone number on your crab pots for contact if unauthorized persons are found to be in possession of the pots. For more information, please click on 2016 Delaware Fishing Guide.

Are you AWARE?
Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind boaters of some important safety regulations when towing water skiers, tubers and knee-boarders.

“Water skiing requires at least three participants – the water skier or skiers, the boat operator and a competent observer – and this also applies to tubing and knee-boarding,” said Sgt. John McDerby, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police boating safety coordinator. “Under Delaware law, any vessel towing a water skier, tuber or knee-boarder must have a person aboard other than the operator to act as the observer. To ensure the skier’s safety, the observer faces backwards, watches the skier and alerts the boat operator of any hand signals from the skier or if the skier goes down.”

Other safety requirements for water skiing, tubing and knee-boarding:

  • Personal watercraft (PWC) used for towing skiers, tubers or knee boarders must have enough seats – minimum of three – to carry the operator, observer and skier.
  • Recreational water skiers, tubers and knee-boarders must wear lifejackets.
  • A tow line cannot exceed 75 feet in length.
  • Observe all “slow-no-wake” areas.
  • Avoid traveling at unsafe speeds, including congested areas.
  • Observe marked “No Water Skiing” areas, which include all marked swimming areas, Assawoman Canal, Rehoboth-Lewes Canal and portions of Indian River Inlet, Roosevelt Inlet, Whites Creek and the channel through Masseys Landing.
  • Maintain a safe and reasonable distance from shipping lanes, other vessels, persons and property.
  • Water skiing is prohibited at night between sunset and sunrise, and within 100 feet of persons in the water, piers, docks, floats, wharfs, vessels anchored or adrift and private or public boat launch ramps.

For more information, please visit the Delaware Boating Safety webpage.

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.

Media Contact: Sgt. John McDerby, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913 or 302-354-1386, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 309


Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police respond to multiple boating accidents, address safety violations

DOVER – During the two-week period Aug. 1-14, DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police marine patrols statewide investigated seven boating accidents and issued numerous boating safety-related citations to help keep Delaware waterways safer for boaters.

  • DE F&W Natural Resources Police logoOn Aug. 13, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police conducting a routine vessel safety and fisheries compliance check cited Stephen J. Healy III, 56, of Townsend, for operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol, operating a vessel with an expired registration, no navigation lights, no sound-producing device and no fire extinguisher at the Woodland Beach Boat Ramp east of Smyrna. Healy was given a mandatory appearance at Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Dover at a later date.
  • On Aug. 12, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police investigated a boating accident with injuries near Pot-Nets Bayside near Long Neck, in which a personal watercraft (PWC) overturned in rough waters, ejecting the operator and passenger. The passenger was treated for a dislocated ankle at Beebe Medical Center in Lewes. The operator, who was not injured, was not cited in the incident.
  • On Aug. 12, Peter A. Bailey, 60, of Milton, was cited for negligent operation of a personal watercraft, causing an accident, and failure to observe a slow-no-wake zone on Rehoboth Bay. The PWC struck a pontoon boat, causing approximately $1,500 in damages. No injuries were reported. Bailey was fined $107, including court costs.
  • On Aug. 8, Benard W. Sparenberg, 51, of Seaford, was cited for operating a vessel under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol at the Lewes Public Boat Ramp. Sparenberg was given a mandatory appearance at Justice of the Peace Court 14 in Georgetown at a later date.
  • On Aug. 8, Ricky Riordan, 64, of Fort Myers, Fla., was cited for careless operation of a vessel. The 51-foot vessel collided with the Reedy Island jetty near the town of Augustine. No injuries were reported to the operator or passenger. Riordan was fined $107, including court costs.
  • On Aug. 8, Anthony Black, 30, of New Castle, was cited for inattentive operation of a vessel. The 17-foot vessel collided with the Pea Patch Island jetty. No injuries were reported to the operator or four passengers, who were transported along with the vessel to Delaware City. Black was fined $107, including court costs.
  • On Aug. 8, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police responded to a report of a 36-foot sailboat on fire in the C&D Canal near St. Georges. Delaware City Fire Company arrived on scene and suppressed the flames, and the vessel’s two occupants escaped without injury. The incident remains under investigation.
  • On Aug. 7, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police responded to a report of an overturned vessel in the Delaware Bay south of Augustine Beach. The 16-foot vessel capsized when its trot line became entangled with a commercial crab pot. The vessel’s two occupants clung to the overturned vessel for approximately two-and-a-half hours before they were rescued by the Delaware City Fire Company’s marine unit near the Smyrna River. No injuries were reported and no citations were issued in the incident.
  • On Aug. 7, Jamie L. Bieller, 33, of Parkville, Md., was cited for careless operation of a vessel and no boating safety education certificate. The 14-foot vessel capsized in the C&D Canal. No injuries were reported to the operator or passenger, who were rescued by the Port Penn Volunteer Fire Company. Bieller was fined $214, including court costs.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind boaters that they are legally required to report boating accidents when:

  • A person dies;
  • A person is injured and requires medical treatment beyond first aid;
  • Damage to the vessel and other property totals more than $500; or
  • A person disappears from the vessel under circumstances that indicate death or injury.

To report a boating accident, please contact Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 800-523-3336 or 302-739-4580.

Boaters navigating Delaware waters also are reminded that operating a boat with a blood alcohol level of 0.08 percent or higher is in violation of Delaware and federal laws. Boat operators found to be at or above the limit will find their voyage terminated, will be cited and may have their vessel impounded. Boat operators found to be under the influence also can face fines and potential jail time.

For more information on safe boating practices and regulations, please visit Delaware Boating Safety.

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.

Media Contact: Sgt. John McDerby, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913 or 302-354-1386, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 308


DNREC awarded federal grant to support Delaware’s research, monitoring and response to White-nose Syndrome in state’s bats

DOVER (Aug. 19, 2016) – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife has been awarded a federal grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to support Delaware’s ongoing research and monitoring and response to White-nose Syndrome (WNS), a disease that causes mortality in bats and has taken a severe toll on hibernating North American bat species since it was discovered almost 10 years ago. 

Characterized by a white fungus visible on a bat’s nose, wings, tail and ears, WNS is transmitted primarily by contact between bats and since first discovered in New York in the winter of 2006-2007, has spread at an alarming rate and is now confirmed in 29 states and five Canadian provinces. According to the USFWS, while the disease is not known to impact human, pet or livestock health, WNS has caused the death of 5.7 to 6.7 million bats in North America. In Delaware, WNS related deaths were first confirmed in 2012 among bats hibernating in Fort Delaware and Fort DuPont in New Castle County.

The 2016 grant marks the seventh year that DNREC has received funding from the USFWS’s Endangered Species Recovery and Science Applications program to help fight the disease, with this year’s funding totaling $22,693.

“Bats are important to Delaware’s ecology, feeding on millions of insects, including mosquitoes, beetles, moths and agricultural pests, and in so doing, also helping us ward off potential threats to public health and the food supply,” said DNREC Secretary David Small. “Now we are trying to reciprocate with our concern over the bats’ health by working to help bats recover from WNS. Since 2009, DNREC has been monitoring the state’s bat populations and working with the public to limit the spread of WNS. Thanks to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service funding, we can continue strengthening our response to this disease that has been devastating to North American bats.”

Only bat species that hibernate are known to be affected by WNS, including such species as the little brown, big brown, tri-colored, northern long-eared and eastern small-footed bats – all found in Delaware. The northern long-eared and little brown bats are among the most severely impacted by WNS. Because of these bats’ dramatic population declines, the northern long-eared and little brown bats were added to Delaware’s list of endangered species in 2014, and the northern long-eared bat was listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in May 2015.

“The cave-like conditions at Fort Delaware provide ideal temperature and humidity levels for bats to hibernate and for the fungus that causes WNS to survive,” said DNREC Biologist Holly Niederriter, who heads the Division of Fish & Wildlife’s bat monitoring efforts. ”WNS continues to be a threat to bats that hibernate there. Our winter surveys at the Fort have shown a steady decline in bat numbers, with 40 percent fewer bats counted in 2015 compared to 2013.”

Hundreds of locations within Fort Delaware have been tested for the presence of the fungus that causes WNS, and potential methods for reducing the amount of fungus there have been evaluated. The microscopic spores of WNS can easily hitch a ride on shoes, clothing, cameras and backpacks, which led biologists to develop a plan in 2012 that prevents Fort Delaware visitors from inadvertently spreading the fungus from the Fort to unaffected areas. In addition, these grant funds were used to produce interpretive signs and an interactive kiosk to show Fort visitors the importance of bats and how to protect them.

 “This USFWS grant provides much needed funds that will be used to collect data that will help us determine how to best protect Delaware’s bat species from WNS and implement strategies that will decrease the chances of spreading the disease to other bat sites,” Niederriter said. “We’ll also be using the funding to continue our efforts to educate visitors at Fort Delaware about bats and WNS.”

Delaware’s grant was part of almost $1 million in funding for natural resource agencies in 34 states and the District of Columbia that were announced by USFWS Northeast Regional Director Wendi Weber. “A state’s response to white-nose syndrome depends on how long the disease has been there or how close they are to known occurrences,” said Weber, who is also co-chair of the WNS Executive Committee. “Where it has been established, the focus is on increasing survival of bats. On the leading edge of the disease front, it’s also on limiting the spread, and where the disease has not been discovered, it’s on preventing the arrival of WNS. With this funding, we’re happy to help the states on all fronts to defeat this deadly disease.”

The Division of Fish and Wildlife is continuing its volunteer bat count project to search for bat colonies, monitor bats for signs of WNS and assess possible changes in bat populations. Delaware residents are encouraged to contact Holly Niederriter, DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife at 302-735-8651 for more information.

For more information on bats in Delaware, please visit http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/bats. To report a bat colony or unusual bat behavior, please call 302-735-8651.

 


Governor’s Weekly Message: Conserving Natural Resources to Build Our Economy

Wilmington, DE – In a guest weekly message, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Secretary David Small highlights the natural scenic beauty of Delaware as well as the opportunity to leverage our natural resources to improve the quality of life and drive economic growth.

“Attention to our natural resources isn’t just about environmental protection – we must recognize and take advantage of how they contribute to our economy and the quality of life,” Sec. Small said. “I hope you are finding time this summer to experience our great outdoors and to see first-hand why a commitment to our conservation economy will keep Delaware moving forward.”

Every week, the Governor’s office releases a new Weekly Message in video, audio, and transcript form. The message is available on:

YouTube: https://youtu.be/N43lWG2Tsbo
Delaware.Gov:http://governor.delaware.gov/podcast_video.shtml
By email: Please contact our press team to subscribe to our press list
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/governormarkell
Twitter: www.twitter.com/governormarkell

Transcript of the Governor’s Weekly Message: Conserving Natural Resources to Build Our Economy


DNREC-sponsored 2016 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program to be held as one-day events Sept. 24 and Oct. 8

DOVER – Registration is now open for Delaware’s 2016 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program, which will be held this year as two separate one-day events on Saturday, Sept. 24 at Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes and Saturday, Oct. 8 at Lums Pond State Park in Bear, instead of a full-weekend event as in past years.

 

A variety of courses are offered at BOW, with a choice of two 1.5-hour sessions or one 3.5-hour session each morning and afternoon. Volunteer instructors provide their expertise and instruction in a safe, supportive and non-competitive atmosphere. The cost of each one-day BOW program is $75, which includes meals, instruction and use of necessary equipment and supplies.

Participants have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of hands-on courses during each of the sessions. Included are target archery, crabbing, clamming, surf fishing, fire-building, beginner shotgun, bird-watching, kayaking, fly-fishing, nature photography, camping and camp cooking, geocaching, daypacking/hiking, trapping and various other outdoor activities. Not all courses are available at both locations. Specialty courses this year at BOW include Intro to Horseback Riding at Lums Pond, and Tom, Jake, Buck & Doe: A Hunter Education Intro Course, and the Cold War Bike Tour at Cape Henlopen. Intro to Natural Resources Law Enforcement with a K-9 demonstration will be offered by DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on both dates.

BOW is for you if:

  • You have never tried these activities but have hoped for an opportunity to learn.
  • You are a beginner who would like to improve your skills.
  • You have some experience but would like to try your hand at new activities.
  • You are just looking for camaraderie with like-minded individuals.

Registrations must be received by Friday, Sept. 9, with registration packets available online at de.gov/bow. Please send completed registration forms with payment to: Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife – BOW, 4876 Hay Point Landing Road, Smyrna, DE 19977. For more information, contact Lynne Pusey at 302-422-1329 or email: lynne.pusey@delaware.gov.

2016 marks the 19th year that Delaware has hosted the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program, sponsored by DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife. While BOW is aimed primarily at women, it offers an opportunity for anyone 18 or older to learn skills that allow them to participate in numerous outdoor activities. Since the first BOW was held in Wisconsin in 1991, this exciting international program has expanded to 46 states and seven provinces with more than 80 workshops offered each year. The main goal of the BOW program is to provide women the opportunity to learn skills that encourage and enhance participation in outdoor activities, such as hunting, shooting, fishing, boating and other activities.

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

Vol. 46, No. 305