SEAFORD – Hearns Pond dam and boat ramp, north of Seaford, will close in May for up to one year while a replacement ramp and dam are built, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife, which operates and maintains the state-owned facility, announced today.

Hearns Pond dam was overtopped and seriously damaged during storms on Aug. 11, 2001 and June 25, 2006, draining the pond and causing serious downstream flooding damage. DNREC funded a study to evaluate the condition and potential hazards of the dam and has worked with DelDOT to develop a replacement plan to bring the dam into compliance with Delaware’s Dam Safety Regulations. Upgrading the dam will also help ensure the long-term availability of the pond as a popular fishing site.

Access to the Hearns Pond boat ramp, parking lot and dam will be closed during construction. Water levels in the pond will be maintained and an historic mill at the site will be protected while the replacement dam and boat ramp are built. Exact closure dates and additional information about the project will be announced closer to the start of construction.

Boaters who regularly use Hearns Pond may opt to use Concord Pond, located approximately 3.5 miles southeast near Seaford, or Craigs Pond, located approximately 5 miles southwest near Seaford.

For more information, please call the Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.

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

Vol. 46, No. 105

DOVER – DNREC Secretary David S. Small has issued a Notice of Administrative Penalty Assessment and Secretary’s Order to Sal Dellomo and Hylton’s Market, Inc., for violations of Delaware’s underground storage tank rules and regulations. The Order includes a cash penalty of $85,000 and an additional $3,489 as cost recovery reimbursement for the Department’s Tank Management Section’s expenses associated with its investigation.

Mr. Dellomo and Hylton’s Market, Inc., are owners of the owners of Hylton’s Market in Camden-Wyoming, Del., where the violations occurred.

DNREC’s Tank Management Section conducted a compliance inspection of the underground storage tank (UST) systems at the facility on June 4, 2014. During the inspection the Tank Management Section recorded 17 violations and noted that Sal Dellomo/Hylton’s Market Inc. was not maintaining the facility’s UST system.

Following inspection, DNREC provided the owners several opportunities to correct the violations and prohibited deliveries of petroleum to the facility. On March 26, 2015, the Department issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) letter to Mr. Dellomo/Hylton’s Market Inc. for the seven violations that remained.

Since that time, three of the seven violations have been corrected. The penalty addresses the remaining four violations including Sal Dellomo and Hylton’s Market, Inc.’s failure to produce tank release detection records; failure to produce monthly reconciled inventory records; failure to provide monthly routine inspection records; and failure to provide daily vapor recovery inspection and maintenance records.

The Secretary’s Order can be found on the DNREC website at http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/Info/Pages/SecOrders_Enforcement.aspx.

Mr. Dellomo and Hylton’s Market, Inc. have 30 days to request a public hearing regarding these matters.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 107

Reminder for the week: Safety, ethical hunting practices encouraged when Delaware turkey season opens April 9

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 Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between March 21-27 made 802 contacts with anglers, boaters, hunters and the general public, including 49 vessel boardings for boating safety and fishing regulation compliance checks. Officers responded to 34 complaints and issued 12 citations, two of which were related to the C&D Canal Conservation Area and associated recreational trail, where there is an increased Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence.

Incidents of note:

• On March 24, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police arrested a man and woman for one count each of loitering to engage in sexual conduct at the Haven Lake Boat Ramp in Milford. Both were released with criminal summonses for mandatory court appearances in Justice of the Peace Court 7 in Dover at a later date.
• On March 24, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers assisted with recovery of the body of missing Dover Air Force Base Airman Keifer Huhman, located by a fisherman along the southern shore of the C&D Canal near Delaware City. Airman Huhman was reported missing Feb. 7.

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

Wildlife Conservation: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (2), and littering in a state wildlife area (2)*.

Fisheries Conservation: Unlicensed fishing (4), and possession of unlawfully taken striped bass (1).

Boating and Boating Safety: Operating a vessel with insufficient number of life jackets (1).

Public Safety: Loitering to engage in sexual conduct (2).

* Citations issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police News, Training and Outreach

• DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police have been recognized with the Outstanding Agency Award presented by the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement. Delaware was evaluated along with all 27 U.S. coastal states and six U.S. territories that are in the partnership with NOAA Office of Law Enforcement. This award was given to Delaware’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police for emphasis placed on partnerships in the Joint Enforcement Agreement; scheduling of priority-based patrols during times of federal fisheries’ peak activities, and for having complete case packages on priority violations.

Are you AWARE?
DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind the public that Delaware’s 2016 spring wild turkey hunting season begins Saturday, April 9 and runs through Saturday, May 7. With the excitement of spring turkey season, hunters are reminded to always place safety and ethical hunting practices first and foremost as they pursue the wary spring gobbler.

Unlike some other types of hunting, turkey hunting is an interactive sport that often involves calling to the birds and moving around in the woods to increase the opportunity of harvesting a gobbler. Hunters are reminded that it is unlawful to drive wild turkeys, to shoot a wild turkey on the roost or, for safety purposes, to wear red, white or blue while hunting.

While in pursuit of wild turkeys, hunters are also reminded that it is unlawful to hunt turkeys while using bait as an attractant. Some common baits that are illegally used are wheat, corn, sunflower seeds and various birdseed blends. Hunters must make sure there is no bait present in an area where they are hunting turkeys.

Delaware offers public hunting opportunities for wild turkeys on several state wildlife areas by permit only. To hunt wild turkeys on public land in Delaware, hunters must enter a lottery from which public lands permits are drawn. Delaware’s wild turkey season is broken down into four week-long segments. Turkey hunters are drawn via the lottery system and issued a permit that enables them to hunt a designated public land area, such as the C&D Canal Conservation Area or Redden State Forest during a specified one-week segment.

If you are selected for a public land permit, make sure that you carry both your permit and your turkey education card at all times while hunting. Always remember that a public permit only allows hunting in a specific designated wildlife area and only during one designated week of turkey season.

For hunters who harvest a spring gobbler, the Division of Fish & Wildlife requires that the turkey be checked at an authorized check station by 2:30 p.m. on the same day the turkey was harvested. Information obtained through the check stations is used by the Division of Fish & Wildlife to help manage Delaware’s wild turkey population.

For a list of turkey check stations, please visit http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Hunting/Pages/Wildlife.aspx. Check station hours may vary, so hunters are advised to call the station where they are likely to check a bird, to confirm the station’s hours of operation. Hunters who want to have their bird scored and entered into the National Wild Turkey Federation records also are reminded to have their bird’s live weight recorded on a certified scale. If the check station does not have a certified scale, hunters will be directed to another station to have the turkey re-weighed.

For turkey hunters who need to purchase a Delaware hunting license, licenses are sold online, at the licensing desk in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, and by license agents statewide. To find a participating agent, or to purchase a license online, visit Delaware Licenses. For additional information on Delaware hunting licenses, call 302-739-9918.

For more information on hunting in Delaware, click on 2015-2016 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guide also is available in printed form at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk and from license agents throughout the state. For more information about public lands that allow turkey hunting, click Wildlife Area Hunting Maps or State Forest Maps.

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 Contacts: Cpl. John McDerby, DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913 or 302-354-1386, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 106

NEW CASTLE COUNTY – DNREC Secretary David Small encourages volunteers to join the 25th annual Christina River Watershed Cleanup along the river and several of its tributaries on Saturday, April 9 from 8 a.m. until noon at 15 sites throughout northern New Castle County. The City of Newark site will hold its cleanup beginning at 7:30 a.m., and Brookhaven Park will begin at 9 a.m.

“For 25 years, dedicated volunteers have devoted a Saturday morning to helping beautify our northern waterways in the Christina River Watershed Cleanup,” said Secretary Small. “Clearing debris from the Christina River Watershed not only improves the landscape for residents and visitors to enjoy, it improves the health and quality of the river and its tributaries, the primary sources of public water supply for New Castle County residents and businesses. The work these volunteers do is important, and we thank them for it.”

In honor of the Christina Cleanup’s 25th anniversary, Brandywine Creek State Park, The Nature Conservancy and Delaware’s own First State National Historical Park will host cleanup locations at Thompsons Bridge, Rocky Run and Smithbridge, respectively. This year’s cleanup will be dedicated to the memory of longtime Cleanup Committee member, Dorothy P. Miller of Newark.

The annual cleanup will be held rain or shine. Since the cleanup began in 1992, more than 360 tons of tires, appliances, household items, and plastic and styrofoam have been cleared from the Christina River, White Clay Creek, Naamans Creek and other tributaries. More than 13,000 volunteers have filled trash bags along Churchmans Marsh, White Clay Creek State Park, the City of Wilmington and various other locations.

DNREC has been a sponsor and an integral part of the Christina River Watershed Cleanup since its inception. Specifically, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife provides planning support in addition to staff, boats, and specialized equipment to transport volunteers and discard trash from remote locations. The cleanup of the river within the city of Wilmington benefits DNREC’s ongoing marsh restoration work at the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge.

For a complete list of cleanup sites with directions and to register, visit www.ChristinaRiverCleanup.org or call 302-307-2757. Volunteers are encouraged to register for one of the 15 sites by Friday, April 1 so adequate supplies can be provided to each site captain. Due to insurance requirements, volunteers under the age of 16 must have adult supervision.

For safety and efficiency, participants are encouraged to wear brightly-colored clothing, long sleeves and pants, boots or water-resistant shoes, hats, heavy-duty gloves and sunscreen. Waders or hip boots are helpful for the City of Wilmington, Hale-Byrnes House and Churchman’s Marsh-Christiana sites. Additional jon-boat- work boats are still needed for Wilmington’s Riverfront. All participants must wear a life jacket while on board any boat.

Volunteers will receive a 2016 Christina River Watershed Cleanup t-shirt designed by Ramiro Lopez-Villalobos, a senior at Delcastle Technical High School. The 2016 event marks the 11th year for the cleanup’s T-shirt design contest, which is open to New Castle County students in 7th-12th grade. Ramiro’s winning design takes a more modern approach to a traditional cleanup t-shirt design element, the great blue heron.

More than 40 organizations and businesses sponsor the cleanup each year. In addition to DNREC, primary sponsors include: Christina Conservancy, Noramco Inc., Artesian Water Company, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Delaware City Refining Company, Horizon Services Inc., BASF – The Chemical Company, GE Aviation, Dow Chemical, Veolia Water, Delmarva Power, Kenny Family Foundation and SUEZ in Delaware.

For more information on DNREC’s programs, visit www.dnrec.delaware.gov.

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

Vol. 46, No. 101

Site reopens Saturday, April 2 with limited operation, weekend hours only

DOVER – DNREC’s Polly Drummond Hill Road Yard Waste Demonstration Site in northern New Castle County, closed since January, will reopen Saturday, April 2 with limited operation at least through June in partnership with the Delaware General Assembly, DNREC’s Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Section announced today.

The site will be open Saturdays and Sundays only, with Delaware residents able to bring yard waste from their own property in non-commercial vehicles to the site from 8 a.m. to until sunset. Again, DNREC operation of the Polly Drummond Hill Road site is Saturday-Sunday only – with the site closed Monday through Friday. In reopening it, DNREC also reminds the public that dumping of yard waste at the gate, along roadways, or other property is illegal, and is subject to fines or imprisonment. (To report violators, call the DNREC 24-hour environmental hotline: 1-800-662-8802.)

DNREC also notes that, in addition to the limited yard-waste drop-off operation at Polly Drummond Hill Road, there is in proximity a free alternative for Delaware residents dropping off their own yard waste: Holland Mulch, 1034 S. Chapel Street (Rt. 72), Newark, DE 19702. This privately-operated site – about five miles from the Polly Drummond Hill Road site – is open from 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7:30 a.m. – noon on Saturdays. For more information about Holland Mulch’s South Chapel Street site, please call 302-737-1000.

DNREC advises that while Holland Mulch also accepts commercial businesses, such as landscaping and lawn care companies, as well as municipalities, all of these entities will be charged a fee when dropping off yard waste. The Department also reiterates that the Polly Drummond Hill Road Yard Waste Demonstration Site is not intended for commercial businesses or for individuals using commercial vehicles to transport their personal yard waste.

Residents wishing for alternatives to recycle their yard waste may manage the material on their own property, arrange for a collection service, or use the drop-off options listed at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/yardwaste. (Businesses that wish to be added to those lists should contact DNREC’s Solid & Hazardous Waste Management Section at 302-739-9403, ext. 1.) Residents living in the municipal boundaries of Wilmington, Elsmere, and Newark are reminded that those municipalities provide free yard waste collection services.

DNREC closed the Polly Hill Drummond Road site Jan. 11 of this year due to increasing costs for maintaining the site and limited funding for operating it. Since its inception as a DNREC demonstration yard waste drop-off site in 2007, the site often operated on a limited and continually-revised schedule because of ongoing funding challenges.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 99