Governor’s Energy Advisory Council Sets Public Input Sessions to Highlight, Get Feedback on State Energy Plan

The public input sessions for the State Energy Plan will provide opportunities for interacting with DNREC State Energy Office staff and commenting on the plan. /DNREC photo

Delawareans will have the opportunity to learn about the State Energy Plan, offer input for it, and to become better informed about existing energy efficiency and renewable energy programs at a series of public input sessions planned in November by the Governor’s Energy Advisory Council (GEAC).

The GEAC is tasked with providing recommendations to the State Energy Office within the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control on the latest update to the Energy Plan. Since June, GEAC workgroups have been focused on learning about where Delaware currently stands, where the state needs to go, and how best to get there in working to reduce carbon emissions.

The GEAC public input sessions, one for each county, will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on the dates and at locations below:

  • Wednesday, Nov. 1, Dover Public Library, 35 Loockerman Plaza, Dover;
  • Monday, Nov. 6, Route 9 Library & Innovation Center, 3022 New Castle Ave., New Castle;
  • Wednesday Nov. 15, Cheer Community Center, 20520 Sand Hill Road, Georgetown.

GEAC chairperson Ed Kee said the goal of the public input sessions is to obtain Delawareans’ input on a wide range of energy issues. Those issues, he said, are reflected by the council’s four work groups: Grid Modernization, Energy Efficiency & Electrification, Renewable Energy and Clean Technologies, and Environmental Justice and Energy Equity.

“The format for the meetings will not be the standard public comment process, but rather specific discussion and conversations on the work group topics,” Kee said. “These conversations will run concurrently in different groups.”

Anyone wanting to attend, Kee said, can drop in at any time during the two-hour meetings to browse the displays, talk to DNREC State Energy Office staff, and offer input on some of the proposals that are under consideration.

DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin said gathering input from communities is essential to the continuing development of the State Energy Plan. “As we work toward reducing the greenhouse gases that are driving climate change, the transition to clean energy sources, energy efficiency and grid stability will be key components to our success,” he said.

Ensuring equity in any proposals for the State Energy Plan is also essential, Secretary Garvin said, noting that DNREC’s Environmental Justice team will be at each of the three upcoming meetings to present the Department’s EJ mapping tool, and to show how it is helping to bring traditionally underserved or underrepresented Delaware communities to the table.

As GEAC chair, Kee said the council’s hope is for wide public participation in each of the meetings. “Any Delawarean interested in or concerned about the future of in our state’s energy systems is welcome to express their views and concerns,” he said. “No doubt it will be a learning experience for all.”

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 Climate, Coastal and Energy uses science, education, policy development and incentives to address Delaware’s climate, energy and coastal challenges. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.


Christina River Boat Ramp on Churchmans Road Closed Temporarily to Recreational Activities for Water Main Repair

The DNREC-owned Newport Boat Ramp off Thoms Way is an alternative launch site for recreational users to include anglers, boaters and waterfowlers while the nearby Churchmans Road boat ramp is closed for repair of an Artesian Water Company main /Google Earth photo

 

The Churchmans Road boat ramp on the Christina River is temporarily closed due to repairs associated with a water main break, ramp owner Artesian Water informed the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control late Monday afternoon. Artesian noted that repairs to the broken water main are expected to take six weeks, dependent on the weather.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife cooperatively manages the Churchmans Road boat ramp and adjacent parking lot with Artesian for recreational activities. Anglers, boaters and waterfowl hunters who need to launch a boat in the area can alternatively use the Newport boat ramp on Thoms Way in Newport. For more information regarding the Churchmans Road boat ramp closure, contact Artesian customer service at (302) 453-6930.

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 nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

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

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Garrisons Lake Fishing Pier Temporarily Closed

The Garrisons Lake aluminum fishing pier on the north side of the lake is to close Monday, Oct. 16 for repairs after having been damaged by a fallen tree during a recent storm, the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife announced today. Repairs are expected to be completed by end of week but are weather-dependent.

Garrisons Lake’s South Boat Ramp, pond, and shoreline fishing are unaffected by the pier’s closure and will remain open while repairs are made to the pier.

For more information about the fishing pier closure, please call the DNREC Fisheries Section at 302-739-9914.

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 nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest Opens for Entries

The winning photo from the 2022 Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest was “Turkey Trot”
by Kimberly Barksdale, taken “leaving Bear Swamp” in the Leipsic River Watershed.

 

Sponsored by DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship; For First
Time, Submissions Can Capture Any of the State’s 45 Watersheds

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is again inviting photographers of all ages and skill levels to submit their best shots and to participate in the Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest. Hosted by the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship, the contest will share the beauty of Delaware’s diverse environment while acting as a vivid reminder that everything that happens on land directly affects what happens in our waterways.

A watershed is land that water moves across or under while flowing to a specific body of water. Every acre of land and body of water in Delaware is part of a watershed. And the contest lens for focusing on watersheds has widened – unlike previous Delaware Watersheds Photo Contests, this year there is no restriction or limitation on where photos can be taken, meaning images associated with any of the 45 watersheds in the state will be accepted. The 2023 contest opens online for entries Friday, Oct. 13 and closes Friday, Nov. 10.

“The watersheds contest continues to challenge photographers to capture the unique beauty and functionality of Delaware’s watersheds,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “What better way of promoting the roles watersheds play in improving water quality and helping to manage precious water resources – both under threat due to impacts of climate change on our state. What we want to see in these photos is the outsize importance watersheds have – and have always had, but now more than ever – here in the second smallest and lowest-lying state.”

A panel of judges consisting of a photographer, an educator and a scientist from DNREC staff will be looking for striking photographic images of Delaware’s waterways, landscapes, sustainable watershed practices, native plants and animals and agricultural practices. The judging panel will determine the finalists whose work will be posted on the DNREC website, with the winning photograph to be chosen by public voting through the DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship Facebook page.

The winner will receive a prize pack including a $250 Visa gift card, a 2023 Delaware State Parks annual pass, a print of the winning photograph, and a certificate signed by Governor John Carney and DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. The winning photo also will be published in Outdoor Delaware, DNREC’s online magazine, at de.gov/outdoordelaware.

To enter the Delaware Watersheds Photo Contest, use the online submission form at de.gov/watershed. To learn more about Delaware watersheds and what you can do to benefit the, go to de.gov/howyoucanhelpwetlands.

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 Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media contacts: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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DNREC to Present Louisiana Living Shoreline Webinar Oct. 12

A Louisiana living shoreline site originated through the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana with Darrah Fox Bach, CRCL’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program manager in New Orleans, deploying shells at the site /Submitted photo

 

The Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana (CRCL) and living shorelines along the coast of Louisiana are the topic of a free webinar at 10 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 12, presented by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, in partnership with the Delaware Living Shorelines Committee. Registration for the webinar and more information is posted on the DNREC events and meetings calendar at de.gov/DNRECmeetings.

The webinar speaker is Darrah Fox Bach, CRCL’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program manager in New Orleans, La. Bach will provide an overview of the non-profit CRCL and the organization’s work on shorelines across the Gulf coast state over the past 35 years. The presentation will showcase on-the-ground habitat restoration projects, advocacy and education in which CRCL engages.

Ms. Bach will highlight a wide range of partners sharing in a vision and commitment to the sustainability of coastal Louisiana. She also will detail the organization’s two volunteer-based restoration programs: the Oyster Shell Recycling Program, which offers a recycling service to New Orleans area restaurants and builds recycled oyster shell living shoreline restoration projects; and the Native Plants Program, which grows native plants from seed and uses them to restore habitat along the Louisiana coast. In addition, the webinar will cover the use of oyster shells and native plants in constructing enduring, adaptive living shorelines that accumulate materials across rectangular platforms to provide habitat and protect critical ecosystems.

This webinar is part of an ongoing virtual series offered by the Delaware Living Shorelines Committee, a work group dedicated to facilitating the understanding, peer review and implementation of living shoreline strategy within the First State. The DNREC Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program represents the Department in supporting the committee and its work.

More information can be found at delawarelivingshorelines.org.

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 Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media contact: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

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