DNREC to Host Auburn Valley Master Plan Community Meeting

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will host a community meeting to discuss updates to the Auburn Valley Master Plan, including current and future recreational, residential and commercial developments that are part of the master plan area, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 17, at the Center for the Creative Arts in Yorklyn.

The division will present updates, plans and visual representations of trails, site developments, and residential and commercial projects. Attendees will also be able to view completed work, including new trails, a pavilion, a historic bridge replacement, new office and relocation of Gun Club Road from the flood plain. The public is invited to view the updates and speak with Division of Parks and Recreation staff as well as representatives from private developers at any time during the meeting.

The goals of the Master Plan are to clean up a contaminated watershed, expand public recreation opportunities, and create a vibrant and thriving community with residential, commercial and recreational aspects. Work has been ongoing for more than a decade and has included creation of Delaware’s 17th state park, Auburn Valley State Park, in a formerly industrial area.

To maintain COVID-19 safety, attendees should wear a mask and will circulate among stations with information about the master plan elements. The Center for the Creative Arts is located at 410 Upper Snuff Mill Row, Yorklyn.

In addition to the meeting, members of the public may view the master plan updates and submit comments at www.destateparks.com/AVSPmasterplan starting Sept. 17.

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, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

 

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DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation sponsors Yorklyn Storytelling Festival, archaeology events

Events of the weekend of October 18 to 20 celebrate Delaware history and literacy

Yorklyn — Yorklyn Village Partnerships, in conjunction with DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation, will celebrate storytelling, archaeology, and Delaware history with two special events the weekend of October 18 to 20.

The first edition of the Yorklyn Storytelling Festival features a lineup of nine nationally-known engaging storytellers in the spoken-word equivalent of a major music or arts festival. The event runs Friday through Sunday, Oct. 18-20, at the Center for the Creative Arts, 410 Upper Snuff Mill Row & Rt. 82, Yorklyn, Del. Special guests include award-winning performers Kim Weitkamp, Andy Offutt Irwin, and Delaware Division of the Arts’ Established Professional Fellow TAHIRA. This one-of-a-kind event is family-friendly and includes storytelling workshops, seven performances for kids, and an open- microphone contest. Special presenters are also performing at local schools on Friday, Oct. 18.

This event is sponsored by Yorklyn Storytelling Festival Inc., a non-profit organization focusing on literacy, as well as DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation’s Auburn Valley State Park, the Center for Creative Arts, and Delaware Humanities. Ticket prices range from $10 up and are available as day or weekend passes, with student and family discounts in place.

For more information or to order tickets go to www.yorklynstoryfest.com or call 302-238-6200.

Also, on Saturday, Oct. 19, Auburn Valley State Park will celebrate International Archaeology Day with special programs, speakers, and opportunities for families to discover archaeology in their community. Kid-friendly programs include a hands-on artifact analysis “Artifact Detectives” program; a “Make a Clay Pot” program, and a chance to meet real archaeologists talking about their work. At 4 p.m., Delaware Humanities archaeologist Cara Blume will present “A History of the Indian People of Delaware 1630-2008.” All archaeology programs at the park are free; for a schedule of events, please go to www.destateparks.com/history/AuburnValley.

Visitors to Yorklyn Village can walk from the park to the storytelling festival and back on Delaware State Parks’ trails, and various parking options are available. For more information on all these programs, please call Auburn Valley State Park at 302-239-5687 or 302-729-4280.


DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation acquires two properties expanding Auburn Valley State Park

Yorklyn – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation announced today that it has acquired 86 acres of land in Yorklyn to expand the recently-created Auburn Valley State Park. The preservation of the two parcels, each about 43 acres in size, will enable future expansion of recreational activities at the 452-acre park. The new land acquisition by DNREC will also benefit the Red Clay Creek watershed by protecting important headwaters and lands along a tributary to the creek.

DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation acquired the property from the children of the Nancy Reynolds Cooch family. The sale was made possible through a donation from The Nature Conservancy in Delaware and grant funding through Mt. Cuba Center, both ensuring that the land becoming part of park will be preserved in its undeveloped state. The rest of the funds were provided by the Delaware Open Space Program, and secured by DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation.

The Open Space Program was created by the Land Protection Act in 1990, with the goal of protecting land for recreation, wildlife habitat, state forests, and lands of historical and cultural importance. Governor John Carney’s 2019 budget provided $10 million in funding for the program, which has protected more than 62,000 acres of land since its inception.

“These new properties will be a wonderful addition to the Auburn Valley State Park,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “With the land now permanently protected by DNREC, the environmentally-sensitive Red Clay Creek watershed will also benefit. I thank our conservation partner, The Nature Conservancy in Delaware; the Reynolds Cooch family; and Mt. Cuba Center; whose support made this purchase a reality.”

“The Nature Conservancy in Delaware is honored and humbled to join Mt. Cuba Center and assist DNREC in adding the Reynolds Cooch properties to the Auburn Valley State Park complex,” said Richard Jones, executive director of The Nature Conservancy in Delaware. “Given the conservation legacy established over many years by the Reynolds and Cooch families, it is particularly gratifying to know that this important land will remain protected in perpetuity.”

The new parcels of undeveloped lands comprise a mix of hardwood forest and grasslands, and also include a stream that eventually flows into the Red Clay Creek, an important source of drinking water for New Castle County. One of the new parcels shares a border with the 121-acre Oversee Farm, another part of Auburn Valley State Park acquired with assistance from the Nature Conservancy in Delaware. Protecting an additional 86 acres provides a wildlife migration corridor through privately and publicly owned lands that extend well into Pennsylvania.


DNREC dedicates new Auburn Valley State Park in Yorklyn

YORKLYN – Governor John Carney and DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin were joined by U.S. Senator Tom Carper, state legislators, New Castle County and local officials, neighbors, and friends, at the dedication and ribbon-cutting of Delaware’s newest and 17th state park, the Auburn Valley State Park in Yorklyn.

Formerly the Auburn Heights Preserve, the park features an 1897 Queen Anne Victorian mansion and the Marshall Steam Museum, home to the largest operating Stanley steam car collection in the world. This four-acre estate was donated by Tom and Ruth Marshall, whose family established and operated the National Vulcanized Fiber (NVF) factory next to the estate. Marshall donated the mansion and steam car museum to the state in 2007. Part of that agreement included establishing an endowment for property upkeep. A historic bridge in the park is now named after the Marshall family.

“The new Auburn Valley State Park will be an economic engine to draw residents and visitors alike to Yorklyn, helping boost the state’s $3.3 billion dollar tourist industry,” said Governor Carney. “We must invest in our state parks to provide Delaware’s residents and visitors with safe and enjoyable recreational opportunities and open spaces, responsible stewardship of the lands and the cultural and natural resources that we have been entrusted to protect and manage, and resource-based interpretive and educational services.”

“Auburn Valley State Park promotes environmental stewardship and ensures that Delawareans will be able to enjoy acres of preserved land for years to come,” said Senator Carper, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “This park – and the 16 other parks like it in the First State – are also economic drivers that bolster our tourism sector and encourage people from coast to coast enjoy all that Delaware has to offer – from our unique history to our pristine outdoor spaces. Our efforts to work together to protect and maintain these lands are a win for Delaware.”

“DNREC owns more than 360 acres of this valley with beautiful vistas, established trails, newly-cleaned flowing creeks with aquatic life, additional preserved lands and soon-to-be restored historic buildings, home of the Marshall Steam Museum, and all being served by the historic Wilmington and Western Railroad,” said Secretary Garvin. “Auburn Valley State Park will help transform Yorklyn into a residential, commercial, conservation and recreational area, while also removing a century of contamination. We thank Tom and Ruth Marshall and their family for their generous donation of their estate as well, and this new park will ensure their legacy endures in perpetuity.”

The new park features a total of 366 acres, including portions of the former NVF facility acquired through funding by the Delaware Open Space Program, FEMA, and private donations. The land has undergone site remediation – including toxics removal and flood mitigation – along with the building and completion of new trails. Plans are ongoing for continued redevelopment designed to turn the area into a revitalized, vibrant hub of activity that retains its historic character and provides the kinds of amenities that will help improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

For more information, visit www.destateparks.com/AuburnValley

Media Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902