Tree For Every Delawarean Initiative Proposals Due Oct. 23

Municipalities can join state agencies and non-governmental organizations with 501(c)(3) status in applying for funding from the Tree for Every Delawarean Initiative (TEDI) for their tree-planting projects.

Funding requests can include multiple projects and may range from $20,000 to $90,000.

“Planting trees is a nature-based solution to reducing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and it plays a critical role in helping fight climate change,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “Together with increased energy efficiency and transitioning to clean energy sources, TEDI is helping Delaware move toward a sustainable future.”

Trees also improve air and water quality, preserve soil, and they support wildlife.

Last year, a total of $100,000 in funding was awarded to projects, resulting in almost 7,500 trees being planted. Since the program launched in November 2021, approximately 80,000 trees have been planted with the support of TEDI funds. Combined with other funding sources, community efforts and individual plantings, more than 180,000 trees have been planted toward a goal of 1 million.

This is the first year that municipalities are eligible to apply for funding.

Applications must be submitted to the DNREC Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy by 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23. Visit the TEDI website for more information on the program and call for proposals requirements, or email questions to TEDI@delaware.gov.

Delawareans can join in the Tree for Every Delawarean Initiative by tracking trees they plant on their own property and inputting the information in the TEDI Tracker at de.gov/tedi.

Information on funding from other TEDI partners, as well as tips on native species, proper planting techniques and how to care for trees can also be found on the TEDI website.

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, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, Michael.globetti@delaware.gov or Jim Lee, JamesW.Lee@delaware.gov

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The Point’s ocean beach will reopen Sept. 1 while the bayside beach will remain closed until Oct. 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will reopen The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, including a stretch of ocean beach and dunes, and a half-mile along the bay shoreline on Friday, Sept. 1. The bayside beach will remain closed until Oct. 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter.

The area to reopen includes a stretch of ocean beach and dunes that was previously closed on March 1. Since 1993, The Point has closed annually each March for the benefit of threatened and endangered beach-nesters and migratory shorebirds, including red knot, piping plovers, oystercatchers, least terns and other species.

The DNREC Divisions of Parks and Recreation, Fish and Wildlife, and Watershed Stewardship have worked together since 1990 to implement a management plan to increase beach-nester and migratory shorebird populations. 

For more information, contact Cape Henlopen State Park at 302-645-8983, or stop by the park office.

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, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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Multiple Blue Ribbons-Winner and First-Time Contest Victor Are Awarded Best in Show in State’s Annual Wildlife Art Competition

A 10-time Delaware stamp contest winner who added another blue ribbon to his run of artistic success and a first-time winner of a state stamp competition have claimed top honors in Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp and Trout Stamp art contests, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. Well-known in Delaware for his seven winning state trout stamp entries, as well as for three previous waterfowl stamp competition wins, Jeffrey Klinefelter took Best in Show again for his painting of a redhead duck which will grace the 2024/25 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp. A painting of a rainbow trout by Trevor Dumaw of Colorado Springs, Colo., was awarded first place and will be featured on the 2024 Delaware Trout Stamp.

The annual stamp art competition drew 14 entries for the 2024/25 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and 12 entries for the 2024 Trout Stamp. The Waterfowl Stamp contest specified that submitted artwork must include the motif of a redhead duck on open water. Trout Stamp artwork entries could depict a rainbow, brown or brook trout.

As the 2024/25 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp winner, Klinefelter, of Etna Green, Ind., receives a $2,500 cash prize and 150 artist’s proofs of the limited edition print series of his first-place entry. An artist who likes who likes to paint from his own photos, Klinefelter over the past 30 years has won numerous contests in states including Nevada, Ohio, Delaware, California, Oklahoma, Oregon, North and South Carolina, Indiana and Colorado. After winning the 2023 Delaware Trout Stamp last year, he rang up a fourth blue ribbon in Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp contest.

As the 2024 Delaware Trout Stamp winner, Dumaw receives a $250 cash prize and retains the rights to reproduce and sell prints of the stamp artwork. Dumaw credits his passion for wildlife art to countless hunting and fishing trips in upstate New York, where he was born and raised. At age 20, Dumaw put his career on hold to enlist in the U.S. States Army as a military policeman. He was deployed to the Balkans before completing an overseas tour in South Korea, where he was assigned to the United Nations Joint Security Battalion, and a deployment to Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dumaw finished his military career as a police investigator before being honorably discharged. As an artist, his preferred subject is the wildlife he’s surrounded by at the eastern foot of the Rocky Mountains.

Other winners were:

• 2024/25 Waterfowl Stamp – Second place: Guy Crittenden, Richmond, Va.; Third place: John Stewart, Wilmington, Del. Honorable mentions: Caleb Metrich, Lake Tomahawk, Wis.; Marion Orchard, Severn, Md.; Michael Kensinger, Altoona, Pa.; and Jonathan Milo, Monroe, Conn.
• 2023 Trout Stamp – Second place: Dennis Arp, Edison, Neb., brook trout; Third place: Tory Farris, Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, brown trout. Honorable mentions: Tiffany Beczkalo, Dallas, Ga., rainbow trout; Walter Wincek, Elyria, Ohio, brook trout; Matt Doyle, Everett, Pa., brook trout.

Artwork in each contest was judged by a different set of five judges, with each judge separately evaluating and scoring the respective contest artwork in person.

The 2024/25 Waterfowl Stamp judges were: Carrie Lingo, Delaware Ducks Unlimited representative; Drew Clendaniel, stamp collector; Lori Crawford, Delaware State University Professor of Art; Elio Battista, Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish member, and Shawn Sullivan, wildlife biologist.
The 2024 Trout Stamp judges were: Noel Kuhrt, stamp collector; Ed O’Donnell, Trout Unlimited member; Sam Palermo, avid angler; Linda Parkowski, Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish member; and Mike Steiger, fisheries biologist.

The winning 2024/25 Delaware Waterfowl Stamp will be available for purchase July 1, 2024, and the winning 2024 Delaware Trout Stamp will be available for purchase Jan. 1, 2024.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, started the Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and print program in 1980 to raise funds for waterfowl conservation, including acquiring and improving wetland habitats vital to the survival of migratory waterfowl. To date, more than $3.6 million has been raised. A Delaware Waterfowl Stamp and hunting license are required for most waterfowl hunters.

Delaware began requiring trout stamps for anglers in the 1950s, and a Delaware Trout Stamp and a general fishing license are required for most anglers to fish in designated trout waters during certain seasons. Funds from the sale of the stamps are used to purchase trout to stock in select streams in northern New Castle County and in two downstate ponds.

More information about Delaware’s Waterfowl Stamp contest can be found at de.gov/waterfowlstamp. More information about the Trout Stamp contest can be found at de.gov/troutstamp.

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,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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Hunters and their retrievers can get a daily double for migratory birds in their sights Sept. 1 when Delaware hunting seasons open for mourning dove and resident Canada goose. Retriever owners also should be vigilant when working their gundogs in the typically warm weather for dove season opener and ensure the dogs get plenty of cool water between retrieves. /DNREC photos

Early Season Teal and Resident Canada Goose Are
Among a Variety of Game Hunters Can Choose From

Hunter’s delight is at hand in Delaware with the September opening of numerous hunting seasons. Among them are the traditional Sept. 1 dove season opener – with many wingshooting opportunities afield, particularly on state wildlife areas, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today. Resident Canada goose season opens the same day as dove season, as does the first of Delaware’s deer seasons (archery and crossbow), while early teal season runs from Sept. 13-30 for both green-winged and blue-winged teal.

What follows is a summary of September migratory bird hunting opportunities on state wildlife areas, how to take advantage of them, and the regulations and procedures to be followed for hunters accessing these opportunities. A complete listing of all the state’s hunting seasons, to include daily bag limits, regulations and legal shooting hours, can be found in the 2023/’24 Delaware Hunting Guide.

New Castle County

Dove

Sunflower fields are planted on the Rocks and Daniels Tracts of the Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area.  Permits to hunt these fields are issued through a noon lottery at the Cedar Swamp lottery station located on Collins Beach Road. These tracts are open to hunting on Opening Day, Labor Day, and all Saturdays in September. Hunting hours are 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.  Dove hunting is prohibited in zones 2, 3, and 8 outside of the regulated dove fields, but is allowed in all other zones in accordance with all state and federal regulations from ½-hour before sunrise to sunset.

Dove hunting is also permitted on the C&D Canal Conservation Area, Augustine Wildlife Area, and Eagles Nest Wildlife Area from ½-hour before sunrise to sunset with no special permits required. Non-toxic shot is required for dove hunting on all state wildlife areas during the early season.

Resident Canada Goose

Resident Canada goose hunting is available on the C&D Canal Conservation Area, on and around Reedy Island in the Delaware River, and on the Eagles Nest Wildlife Area, with no special permits required. Hunting hours are ½-hour before sunrise to sunset. Resident Canada geese may be harvested on the Port Penn and Ashton Tracts of the Augustine Wildlife Area while hunting teal by obtaining a permit as described below.

September Teal

Duck blinds will be available on the Port Penn and Ashton Tracts of the Augustine Wildlife Area for early teal season. The blinds are available by permit only through lottery drawings held at the Augustine lottery station at the end of North Congress Street in Port Penn. Lotteries are held on opening day (Sept. 13), and weekly Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, with drawings taking place 1½ hours before legal shooting time throughout the season. Note that blinds may not be grassed for the early teal season.

 Kent County

Dove

Sunflower fields are planted on the Logan Lane and Buckaloo/Morris Tracts of the Ted Harvey Conservation Area, the Main Tract of the Little Creek Wildlife Area and the Penuel Tract of the Milford Neck Wildlife Area. Permits to hunt these fields are issued through a noon lottery at the Little Creek Wildlife Area check station on Route 9/Bayside Drive just south of the town of Little Creek. These areas will be open to hunting on opening day, Labor Day (Monday, Sept. 4), Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in September. Hunting hours are from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.  Dove hunting is restricted to these fields only on the five tracts.

Sunflower fields open to hunters without a lottery are on the Blackiston Wildlife Area off Underwoods Corner Road and Sewell Branch Road and on the Norman G. Wilder Wildlife Area off Ironmine Road, with hunting permitted from ½-hour before sunrise to sunset with no special permits required. Non-toxic shot is required for dove hunting on all state wildlife areas during the early season.

Resident Canada Goose

Resident goose hunting opportunities are available on the Blackiston and Norman G. Wilder Wildlife Areas, the Little Creek Wildlife Area’s Davey Crockett Tract, Ted Harvey Wildlife Area’s Morris and Buckaloo Tracts and Milford Neck Wildlife Area’s Penuel, Main and Rawley’s Island Tracts, with no special permits required. Hours are ½-hour before sunrise to sunset.

September Teal

Select blinds will be open at the Woodland Beach Wildlife Area for the early teal season. These blinds and will be available by permit only through a lottery at the Woodland Beach check station on Route 9. Lotteries will be held 1½-hours before legal shooting time on a daily basis. Ted Harvey Conservation Area river blinds and Roberts Tract and Island Farm Tract blinds will be issued through the Little Creek lottery station beginning 2 hours before legal shooting time on a daily basis. Note that blinds will not be grassed for the early teal season. The Little Creek Wildlife Area’s Davey Crockett Tract and Milford Neck Wildlife Area’s Penuel, Main, Rawley’s Island and Cedar Creek Tracts are open without special permits.

Sussex County

Dove

Sunflower fields and corn are planted on the Muddy Neck Tract of the Assawoman Wildlife Area on both sides of Double Bridges Road. Permits to hunt these fields are available at the Assawoman Lottery Station beginning at noon on opening day, Labor Day and all Saturdays in September. Hunting hours are 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunflower and corn fields are planted at the Nanticoke Wildlife Area this year for dove hunting and are located on either side of the Main Road running between Old Sharptown and Phillips Landing Roads – the fields are called the George Adams Field and Dirt Pit Field. No permits or check-in are required. Nanticoke is open daily to dove hunting in accordance with all state and federal regulations from ½-hour before sunrise to sunset.

All other wildlife areas in Sussex County are open for dove hunting with no permits required and in accordance with all state and federal regulations from ½-hour before sunrise to sunset. Non-toxic shot is required for dove hunting on all state wildlife areas during the early season.

Resident Canada Goose

Resident goose hunting is available at the Assawoman Wildlife Area from a field blind on the Muddy Neck Tract south of Double Bridges Road. A hunter-facilitated drawing will occur two hours before sunrise on Mondays and Thursdays during the early season. More information can be obtained at the Assawoman Checking Station or by calling 302-539-3160 in advance of hunting days.

 September Teal

Prime Hook State Wildlife Area blinds and Prime Hook NWR blind sites will be open for the early teal season. Hunting days are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Permits are free and will be issued using a hunter facilitated drawing 2½-hours before sunrise from the check station located on the Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Hunting hours are ½-hour before sunrise to 4 p.m. Hunters should plan to use the Foord’s Landing boat ramp within the federal refuge to access the state waterfowl blinds as the new water levels have made the state boat ramp inaccessible. Note that blinds may not be grassed for the early teal season.

No other Sussex County state wildlife areas are located within the September teal season zones.

More information about hunting in Delaware, including migratory birds, can be found at https://de.gov/hunting. More information about hunting on state wildlife areas can be found at https://de.gov/wamaps. Information about Delaware’s deer hunting seasons, which run in various incarnations from Sept. 1 through Jan. 31, 2024, can be found in the 2023-’24 hunting guide.

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 more than 68,000 acres of public land. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

The par 72 William Gordon-designed course at Deerfield Golf Club encompasses 145 acres at White Clay Creek State Park in Newark and offers dramatic elevation changes.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation has partnered with Troon St. James, LLC to manage operations of the Deerfield and Garrisons Lake golf clubs owned by DNREC. Troon, which will assume operations under their affiliate Indigo Sports starting Jan. 1, 2024, is an international leader in providing golf and club-related services.

Weddings and other events already booked with the current operator Forewinds Hospitality LLC for 2024 or beyond will be honored by Troon under the new contract. Troon was awarded the contract by DNREC to manage operations at the clubs as part of a request for proposal (RFP), as the existing contract with Forewinds is to expire at the end of 2023.

“Forewinds Hospitality has been a terrific partner for nearly 20 years and we thank them for their valuable contributions over the years. They have done a tremendous job of managing and improving golf operations and event services for the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “We look forward to working with Troon as one of the top golf course management organizations in the country as they continue to build on the success of the Deerfield and Garrisons Lake golf clubs.”

Following state procurement requirements, DNREC released the golf course concession RFP with the goal of identifying suitable vendor(s) and executing a new contract. The division evaluated the bids received by utilizing criteria and scoring included in the RFP.

“We are thrilled about this new partnership with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, and we’re very much looking forward to the future of Deerfield Golf Club and Garrisons Lake Golf Club,” said Troon Vice President of Operations Justin Smith. “As we move toward assuming management operations in 2024, we expect a seamless transition for employees, golfers, guests, pass holders and friends of Deerfield and Garrisons Lake.”

As part of the new management agreement, Troon will invest a percentage of their revenue into making capital improvements at both courses annually. The agreement with DNREC and the State of Delaware expires at the end of 2038 and may be extended for an additional 10 years.

The contract includes management of operations for the golf courses, pro shops, conference facilities, banquet rooms, restaurants and bars. Additionally, improvements are under way at Garrisons Lake that include a new cart barn and a 4,300-square-foot clubhouse. The clubhouse will feature a pro shop, restrooms, pub and grill, and indoor/outdoor dining.

Troon manages more than 825 18-hole equivalent golf courses around the globe, including nine in Delaware – they are: Bayside Resort Golf Club in Selbyville, Bear Trap Dunes Golf Club in Ocean View, Delcastle Golf Club in Wilmington, Ed Oliver Golf Club in Wilmington, Fieldstone Golf Club in Greenville, Heritage Shores Golf Club in Bridgeville, Plantation Lakes Golf & Country Club in Millsboro, Rock Manor Golf Course in Wilmington, and the Peninsula Golf & Country Club in Millsboro.

The par 72 William Gordon-designed course at Deerfield Golf Club encompasses 145 acres at White Clay Creek State Park in Newark and offers dramatic elevation changes, while the par-72 Garrisons Lake Golf Club course encompasses 160 acres of well-bunkered, undulating greens in Smyrna.                                      

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, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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