Redden Lodge and Forest Campsites Closed

Contact:
Kyle Hoyd, Assistant State Forester
Delaware Forest Service
302-698-4548  kyle.hoyd@delaware.gov 

To limit coronavirus, the Redden Forest Lodge and campsites at Blackbird State Forest and Redden State Forest are now closed.

DOVER, Del. — Beginning immediately, the Delaware Forest Service will take the following steps to limit the potential spread of the Coronavirus:

  • The Lodge at Redden State Forest will be closed to the public until further notice.
    For existing reservations, contact Catherine Connelly at 302-698-4547 or catherine.connelly@delaware.gov.
  • All campsites at Redden and Blackbird State Forests will be closed to the public until further notice.
  • All large gatherings (>25 people) scheduled for any of the State Forests will be cancelled.
  • State Forests will remain open to the general public for the time being for outdoor activities such as hiking, bird watching, horseback riding, etc.
  • Staff members will cancel all scheduled meetings (or use teleconferencing as an alternative), school programs, on-site educational programs at the State Forests, and any other activity would involve multiple people in the same room.
  • Staff members will avoid all out-of-state travel until further notice.
  • Staff members will limit their exposure to the general public whenever possible, in order to prevent the possible transmission of coronavirus.
    State Forest Changes


Delaware sends Type 6 engine to North Carolina

 


 

Contact: Kyle Hoyd, Delaware Forest Service
302-698-4548, kyle.hoyd@delaware.gov 

MURPHY, N.C.  —  The Delaware Forest Service has dispatched a Type 6 engine and crew to the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina. The unit will provide resource and readiness capability as a combination of drought, fuel moisture, and weather conditions have created above average potential for increased wildfire activity across the Southern Region. Delaware’s crew consists of Sam Topper of Maryland, a senior forester with the Delaware Forest Service, and Adam N. Keever of Newark, a conservation technician with DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation.

This is the first assignment of 2019 for the Delaware engine crew. In 2018, the Delaware Forest Service dispatched a Type 6 engine to battle California’s Ferguson Fire, which caused two fatalities and burned almost 97,000 acres in the Sierra National Forest and Yosemite National Park. In 2017, the Type 6 engine and crew was sent to the Eagle Creek Fire, which burned more than 50,000 acres in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington and Oregon.

“One of the Delaware Forest Service’s core missions is providing critical resources for wildfire suppression and emergency response—both locally and nationally,” said Kyle Hoyd, Delaware’s assistant state forestry administrator who oversees its wildland fire program. “We take pride in the fact that our Type 6 engine and experienced crew members can support the needs of our federal and state partners when we are called upon to serve.”

 

 


Apply now for Delaware state forest turkey permit

DOVER – The Delaware Forest Service (DFS) is accepting applications for its lottery to award state forest permits for the 2020 turkey hunting season, which begins April 11, 2020 and ends on May 9, 2020. A special one-day hunt for youth and non-ambulatory disabled hunters occurs on April 4, 2020. No Sunday hunting is allowed. State forest turkey permits are issued for one of four season segments: A (4/11-4/17), B (4/18-4/24), C (4/25-5/1), or D (5/2-5/9).

The 2020 Delaware State Forest Turkey Hunting Permit Application is now online.

Completed applications must be received by January 10, 2020 at:

Delaware Forest Service Turkey Permit Application
2320 S. DuPont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901

Turkey hunters can request a permit for either Blackbird State Forest, Taber State Forest, or Redden State Forest and also indicate their request for preferred weeks and locations. All hunters are required to complete a turkey hunting safety education course. Failure to check the box on the form indicating completion of an approved course will disqualify the application. 

The Delaware Forest Service began issuing its own separate permits for state forests in 2019. The change now provides hunters with up to two weeks of permitted turkey hunting: either at a DNREC Wildlife Area or a Delaware State Forest. State forest hunting is still free to the public and requires no separate usage fees. The DFS receives no funding from income generated by hunting license and registration fees. Even though the Delaware Forest Service is issuing its own permits, all current turkey hunting license and registration requirements remain in effect: harvested wild turkeys must still be registered through the state turkey hunting check stations.

“The Delaware Forest Service’s goal is to continue enhancing the quality of turkey hunting opportunities on state forest lands. Hunters that turned in their turkey logs this past season provided us with valuable information that helped us monitor populations throughout the remainder of the year,” said Kyle Hoyd, assistant state forester. “We are also targeting areas to implement forest and wildlife management techniques that will provide the much needed habitat turkeys require to survive. This will help us improve the quality of turkey hunting at our state forests,” said Hoyd.

In addition, the DFS will use a system that allows hunters to call in if they no longer need their permit so it can be reassigned to another individual on the waiting list. This was developed in response to a lack of hunters during previous seasons. The DFS will also provide hunters with a survey card they will need to fill out to apply the following year that includes questions on how many turkeys they saw, days hunted, and on which tracts they hunted.


Fire Camp at Blackbird State Forest on March 30

SMYRNA, Del. — The Delaware Forest Service will host its “23rd Annual Fire Camp” event at Blackbird State Forest (502 Blackbird Forest Road, Smyrna DE 19977) on Saturday, March 30 from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The intensive one-day seminar is the capstone of the agency’s wildfire training program to certify its emergency firefighters to meet National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards. Last year, the Delaware Forest Service dispatched crews to Colorado and Idaho as the National Preparedness Level climbed to its maximum level of 5.

Delaware "Fire camp" crew meeting

The Delaware Forest Service’s Fire Camp fosters teamwork and unit cohesion among wildfire crew members.In addition to completing an arduous “work capacity test” – which involves carrying a 45-pound pack over a three-mile course in less than 45 minutes – crew members will receive hands-on instruction in several key areas: wildfire suppression techniques, how weather affects fire behavior, crew mobilization and teamwork, water pumps, and chainsaw usage. The event culminates with a “live” controlled burn fire situation.

Due to the event, state forest visitors should be aware that parking at the picnic pavilion and trail head areas on the Tybout Tract will be very limited. The training event will involve fire equipment and vehicles, chainsaws, and a planned burn exercise in the afternoon that will likely cause smoke in the area. Access to many areas will be restricted and/or congested. It is strongly recommended that recreation activities be moved to other State Forest properties. Horse trailers are advised to use the Reynolds farm parking area off of Van Dyke–Greenspring Road. Please call 302-653-6505 with questions.

Media contact: John Petersen
Delaware Forest Service
302-698-4552 (office) 302-233-8180 (cell)
john.petersen@delaware.gov

 


Blackbird State Forest tree planting on April 13 & 14

TOWNSEND, Del. – Volunteers are needed to plant 2,000 hardwood seedlings at Blackbird State Forest on Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Two seniors from Middletown High School, Bryan Alberding and Nick Kupsick, are leading the project in cooperation with the Delaware Forest Service with funding provided by the DNREC Nonpoint Source Program (NPS). The project will take place on Blackbird State Forest’s Naudain Tract2076 Harvey Straughn Road, Townsend, Delaware 19734.

The rain date is scheduled for April 27 and 28, 2019.

The planting site is located along the Cypress Branch, where the new trees will help enhance wildlife habitat, fight invasive species, and improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. The project continues a tradition of youth volunteerism and environmental action at Blackbird State Forest: in 2018, volunteers led by Girl Scout Caroline Dowd, a student at MOT Charter High School in Middletown, planted more than 8,800 seedlings on an adjacent parcel.  In both 2012 and 2013, Boy Scouts planted 4,000 trees each year at Blackbird State Forest.

“Our project took a lot of time and planning, but it is important that everything was done correctly to maximize our success,” said Middletown High School senior Bryan Alberding. “I chose to do this project because I was concerned about the enormous housing growth in our community, and I wanted to improve the environment.”

“This project presents others with the opportunity to explore and learn how our forests start from the seedling to a mature tree, and how to properly plant the trees,” said Nick Kupsick,who is coordinating the effort with Alberding as part of their Middletown H.S. senior project.

Contact information for media:

Volunteers are asked to dress for the weather and bring sunscreen or insect repellent if needed.

What to wear and bring:

  1. work shoes or work boots that can get dirty
  2. appropriate clothing and hats that can get dirty and are suited to the weather (cold, rain, wind, or heat)
  3. a shovel if possible, as well as work gloves

The latest updates for the event will be posted on the students’ Facebook Page: Blackbird Tree Planting

Funding for the trees is provided by a grant from the DNREC Nonpoint Source Program. The restoration of riparian forests is a key strategy for improving water quality in the Chesapeake Bay, recognized as a “national treasure” and the largest estuary in North America, covering 64,000 square miles in six states and the District of Columbia. The Cypress Branch in southwestern New Castle County is one of the headwaters for the Chester River, a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay that begins where Cypress Branch and Andover Branch join together in Millington, MD.

Blackbird State Forest covers nearly 6,000 acres in southern New Castle County and is also a stop on the historic Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway.

Directions to the Blackbird Forest Tree Planting Site

  • From the NORTH:
    Route 1 (TOLL): Take Rt. 1 South to Exit 136 toward Odessa (Rt. 299) and make a left at the light. At Rt. 299 (Main Street) in Odessa, turn right onto U.S. 13 South.
    U.S. 13: Take U.S 13 South until you reach Rt. 299 (Main Street) in Odessa. Proceed through the light (continue on U.S. 13 South).
  • From Route 299 & U.S. 13: Continue on U.S. 13 south for 6.2 miles and then turn right onto Blackbird Forest Road (flashing light at the top of the hill). After 3.5 miles, turn right onto Oak Hill School Road. Continue for 2.9 miles and then turn right onto Harvey Straughn Road. Proceed for .3 miles and the destination will be on the right.
  • From the SOUTH:
    Route 1 (TOLL): Take Rt. 1 North to Exit 119 (N. Smyrna). Make a right onto Route 13 South. Proceed .8 miles to Duck Creek Road and make a right at the light.
    U.S. 13: Take U.S 13 North until you reach Duck Creek Road north of Smyrna (just past Visitor Center and Smokey Bear sign on the right). Turn left at light for Duck Creek Road.
  • From Duck Creek Road & U.S. 13:  Proceed west for .8 miles on Duck Creek Road and turn right onto Vandyke Greenspring Road. Continue on Vandyke Greenspring Road for 4.4 miles and turn left onto Harvey Straughn Road. In 2 miles, turn left to stay on Harvey Straughn Road. Proceed for .3 miles and the destination will be on the left.

Additional contact –
John Petersen, Delaware Forest Service, 302-698-4552, john.petersen@delaware.gov

###