Delaware State Parks Surf Fishing Permits, Annual Passes on Sale in February

The quickest and safest way to purchase Delaware State Parks surf fishing permits and annual passes is online at www.destateparks.com. Sales will start online 10 a.m. Feb. 1 for surf fishing permits and Feb. 15 for annual park passes.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today that the sale of 2022 Delaware State Parks surf fishing permits will begin Tuesday, Feb. 1 and the sale of annual passes will begin Tuesday, Feb. 15. Sales will begin at 10 a.m. both days. The sale of 2022 surf fishing permits and annual passes was delayed due to nationwide supply chain disruptions.

How to Purchase

Online: Due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases and demand for surf fishing permits and annual passes, the quickest and safest way to purchase permits and passes is online at www.destateparks.com. Sales will start online 10 a.m. Feb. 1 for surf fishing permits and Feb. 15 for annual park passes.
At state parks: Permits and passes will be on sale at offices within Delaware State Parks starting at 10 a.m. on Feb. 1 for surf fishing permits and Feb. 15 for annual park passes. Those who choose to purchase annual passes or surf fishing permits at a park office should expect long wait times and must wear a mask inside the building. Park office locations are listed at www.destateparks.com/FindPark. (Please note: Permits and passes are not available at DNREC’s Dover office.)

Annual Passes

Annual passes are a convenient way to access the parks for the entire fee season from March 1 to Nov. 30. A Delaware resident annual pass costs $35, and Delaware residents 62 and older will receive a discounted rate of $18. A $65 lifetime pass is available for Delawareans 65 and older. Reduced rates are also offered to Delawareans who receive public assistance, or who 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.

Surf Fishing Permits

The purchase of a surf fishing permit allows individuals to drive onto designated beaches for fishing. First-time permit holders must also obtain a surf fishing plate on which to affix their surf fishing permit decal. In addition to entry onto Delaware State Parks drive-on beaches, the decal enables the vehicle to gain entrance into the other state parks without paying the daily entrance fee.

Surf fishing permits are sold on a first-come, first-served basis and are capped at 17,000 annually to manage a limited resource, protect against overcrowding of parks beaches, and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all visitors to Delaware’s award-winning state parks system. The surf fishing permit fee for Delaware residents is $90 or $180 for out-of-state residents. Delaware residents 62 and older will receive a discounted rate of $80.

In 2021, 77% of surf fishing permits were held by Delaware residents and 23% were held by residents of other states.

Off-Peak Surf Fishing Permits

The off-peak surf fishing permit, which was piloted in 2021, will return for 2022. There is no cap in place for the off-peak surf fishing permit.

Off-peak surf fishing permits may be used seven days a week during the off season, which runs from Feb. 1 to May 29 and again from Sept. 6 through Dec. 31. From Memorial Day through Labor Day, off-peak permits may only be used Mondays through Fridays; Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day are excluded. The off-peak permit also allows entry into all Delaware State Parks without paying the daily entrance fee.

The off-peak permit fee for Delaware residents is $70, while the fee for out-of-state residents is $140. Delaware residents age 62 and older will receive a discounted rate of $60.

Passes/Permits for Delaware Firefighters, EMTs

Delaware firefighters and emergency medical technicians can obtain an annual pass or surf fishing permit for free. Those who qualify must first obtain an application form from the president of their fire company or the Delaware Volunteer Firefighters Association and then visit a park office to receive the pass or permit.

Delaware’s state parks are primarily self-funded, with 65% of revenue to operate and maintain the parks generated by park users. This revenue is used for trail maintenance, environmental and recreational programs, visitor amenities, guarded beaches, management of campgrounds, cabins and more.

For more information about surf fishing permits and annual passes, go to www.destateparks.com/Know/PassesTagsFees.

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 Enjoy the natural diversity of Delaware’s 17 state parks. 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, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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DNREC to Present Living Shorelines Community Engagement Webinar Feb. 17

Webinar speaker Capt. Alek Modjeski will discuss case studies of living shoreline projects in New Jersey

The importance of community engagement and involvement in shoreline restoration projects is the topic of a free webinar at 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, presented by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, in partnership with the Delaware Living Shorelines Committee.

The webinar speaker is Capt. Alek Modjeski, a professional ecologist, fisheries biologist, and the habitat restoration program director for the American Littoral Society.

Modjeski will provide an overview of coastal estuarine restoration projects that have a strong emphasis on community engagement and involvement. The presentation will showcase how the use of public and private partnerships create connectivity and resiliency throughout the habitat restoration process. This model includes several case studies of projects conducted throughout New Jersey focusing on the application of living shorelines. The webinar presenter will discuss how these projects goals extend beyond just restoring coastal areas to increase the ecosystem’s resiliency and functionality for the future. A unique feature of the case studies in this lecture will identify the involvement of a workforce consisting of military veterans and volunteers.

The 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 state. DNREC’s participation is represented by the DNREC Wetland Monitoring and Assessment program and the DNREC Coastal Training program.

For more information, visit Delaware Living Shorelines. Registration for the webinar and more information about it are also available on the DNREC events and meetings calendar at de.gov/DNRECmeetings.

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, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

DNREC Reopens Rehoboth Bay Shellfish Harvest

DNREC ended an emergency 21-day shellfish closure in Rehoboth Bay Jan. 18 and reopened commercial and recreational harvest

21-Day Emergency Closure Ends Jan. 18

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control today announced the end of a 21-day emergency closure of commercial and recreational shellfish harvest of oysters, clams and mussels in the Rehoboth Bay that went into effect Dec. 28 after a spill from a residential sewer line in the Long Neck area of Sussex County discharged untreated wastewater into the bay.

The emergency shellfish harvest closure was initiated by DNREC on account of potential risk to public health from shellfish which may have been impacted by the event. DNREC bases the span of such emergency closures on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Guidelines under the National Shellfish Sanitation Program – with 21 days deemed an abundance of caution for public protection against pathogens of concern, including viruses, that might be associated with wastewater exposure. The state’s shellfish industry, consisting of commercial oyster growers and wild clam harvesters, cooperated with DNREC in continuing to ensure that all product harvested in Delaware waters is of the highest quality, and in putting the safety of consumers first when making decisions to close and open areas to shellfish harvest.

“The Delaware Aquaculture Association – representing commercial growers – and Delaware Sea Grant appreciate the continued partnership with DNREC to protect and guarantee safe production of our outstanding Delaware-grown oysters and wild clams,” said Dr. Ed Hale, Marine Advisory Specialist for Delaware Sea Grant.

More information on shellfish harvesting areas in Delaware can be found on DNREC’s website at de.gov/shellfish.

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

2021 State Conservation Poster Contest Winners Announced

State winner, grades 4 to 6, Samuel Vasquez Ortiz, Gallagher Elementary

The Delaware Association of Conservation Districts, in partnership with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, today announced the winners of its annual conservation poster contest, which provided students with an opportunity to convey their artistic impressions about soil, water and related natural resources based on the 2021 theme, “Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities.”

The 2021 theme, “Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities,” encouraged people to protect existing trees and plant new ones, as well as to advocate and educate about trees and forest conservation within their communities. As the biggest plants on the planet, trees are a vital resource, as they absorb carbon from the atmosphere, stabilize the soil, filter water, provide healthy habitat for wildlife and offer many other benefits.

First place winners from New Castle County are:

K to 1: Lawrence Xun*, North Star Elementary
2 to 3: Christine Alex*, Gallagher Elementary
4 to 6: Samuel Vasquez Ortiz*, Gallagher Elementary
7 to 9: Rishitha Guddapalli*, Cab Calloway School of the Arts
10 to 12: Eason Li*, Tower Hill School

First place winners from Kent County are:

K to 1: Jade McWaine, Academy of Dover
2 to 3: Zahara Odige, Academy of Dover
4 to 6: Leah Randall, Academy of Dover
7 to 9: Jemma Byrd, Magnolia Middle School
10 to 12: Evan Shane, Smyrna High School

*Denotes state winning posters. No entries were submitted in 2021 from Sussex County.

Posters were judged on good use of color, good attention to detail, an easy to understand conservation message, originality and creativity, along with correct use of the conservation theme. First, second and third place winners in each grade category received gift cards for $50, $25 and $15, respectively, from their local Conservation District office. The first place state winners received $50 from the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts.

State winning posters by Lawrence Xun, Christine Alex, Samuel Vasquez Ortiz, Rishitha Guddapalli and Eason Li have been entered into the national poster contest sponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts Ladies Auxiliary. National winners will be announced at the NACD conference being held Feb. 12 to 16 in Orlando, Fla.

Delaware’s poster contest also includes a category for computer generated/graphic arts posters. Entries were received from two schools in New Castle County. The winners were:

First place: Langley Grace Marvel, Del Castle Vo Tech High School
Second place went to Noelle Evans also of Del Castle Vo Tech High School
Third place: Vicken Karakashian, Appoquinimink High School

Each year, the poster contest follows the annual Soil and Water Stewardship Week theme sponsored by the National Association of Conservation Districts. The 2022 poster contest will focus on the theme “Healthy Soil, Healthy Life.” Healthy soils are vital to food production and also contribute to clean air and water, plentiful crops and forests, diverse wildlife and beautiful landscapes. The theme encourages people to recognize where food comes from and the farmers who are dedicated to using responsible land-management practices to ensure a sustainable food supply and healthy land and soil for future generations.

More information about the poster contest can be found at www.nacdnet.org under the Stewardship and Education page.

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

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DNREC Solicits Requests for Proposals for Phase 4 of Settlement Mitigation Awards

$3.4 Million in Funding Available to Improve State’s Air Quality

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control today issued a request for proposals (RFP) for investments of $3.4 million from the Environmental Mitigation Trust on projects that improve the state’s air by reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx). A virtual public meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 15 to help organizations apply for the grants by close of business on Monday, March 21.

“The Environmental Mitigation Trust is another opportunity from DNREC to help businesses, non-profit organizations, state agencies and individual citizens in our state to improve air quality,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “I encourage Delaware organizations to submit proposals for projects that will produce tangible results in reducing air pollution and help us move closer to our goal of clean air for Delaware.”

Eligible mitigation actions include projects to reduce NOx from heavy-duty diesel sources. Eligible projects include the replacement or repowering of medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and school and transit buses. Other eligible mitigation actions include engine repower for freight switcher locomotives, ferries, tugs, forklifts and port cargo handling equipment. Or, they may also include, in a more limited capacity, charging infrastructure for light-duty zero emission passenger vehicles. Details are outlined in the RFP, published at bids.delaware.gov.

The funding comes from federal redress against Volkswagen Corporation and its subsidiaries for installing emissions “defeat devices” on its diesel vehicles in violation of the federal Clean Air Act. Use of these devices increased NOx emissions throughout the country, up to 40 times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limit, resulting in adverse impacts to air quality and felt particularly in Delaware, where the transportation sector is the state’s leading source of air pollution.

The $3.4 million in funding available this year to Delaware covers the fourth and final phase of the federal settlement with the automaker – and the state’s last disbursement from a total $9.6 million from the trust since 2019.

This year’s solicitation of RFPs aligns with previous project awards, going for upgrades to cleaner-fueled vehicles. These projects included:

Phase 1 is a multi-year partnership with the Delaware Department of Education (DDoE), which leveraged the EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Program (DERA) grants and the Environmental Mitigation Trust, to replace a total of 115 state-owned diesel school buses with buses that operate on clean diesel or propane. DDoE plans to replace additional school buses in Year 4, and exhaust all Phase 1 funds in 2022.
Phase 2 supported grants to Waste Management of Delaware, which replaced 10 diesel solid waste refuse vehicles with trucks that operate on compressed natural gas (CNG), and to The Teen Warehouse in Wilmington, which upgraded to an electric zero-emissions school bus using the DERA grant and the Environmental Mitigation Trust.
Phase 3 plans included the replacement of nine diesel school buses with two private transportation providers and five government-owned Class 4-7 medium diesel trucks. Replacement projects for one school bus and the five government-owned medium trucks were delayed to due COVID-19 and will be completed in the fall of 2022. DNREC also announced an RFP in the fall for installation of direct current, or DC-fast electric vehicle charging stations.

Comments and questions may be made in advance of the Feb. 15 public meeting. They will be considered for DNREC response during the meeting. Contact and login information is available on the DNREC online calendar at de.gov/dnrecmeetings. Additionally, written questions will be received by the DNREC Division of Air Quality until Feb. 22.

The solicitation can be found on the state Office of Management and Budget website. The final phase of Environmental Mitigation Trust funds are expected to be awarded during the second half of 2022. More information on the Environmental Mitigation Plan is available at de.gov/vwmitigation.

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 Division of Air Quality monitors and regulates all emissions to the air. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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