K-9 Vos has first drug alert while on patrol

DNREC Natural Resources Police Park Rangers arrested a Rehoboth Beach man on multiple drug and other charges Memorial Day at Cape Henlopen State Park after park rangers found two subjects in a closed primitive camping area.

At around 4 p.m. May 25, Rangers approached and questioned the individuals, who were burning a fire in a campsite fire pit, and found Ricky C. Garner, 37, of Rehoboth Beach to be in possession of marijuana. K-9 Vos then gave a positive alert for the presence of narcotics in Garner’s belongings, where Rangers found suspected powder cocaine and suspected MDMA (ecstasy).

The Rangers recovered 139 grams of marijuana, edible marijuana, marijuana vape oil, 1.9 grams suspected cocaine, 4.9 grams dried fungus suspected psilocybin mushrooms and 1.9 grams suspected ecstasy from Garner.

Garner was taken into custody without incident and charged with the following misdemeanors:

• 1 count of misdemeanor possession/consumption of marijuana other than for personal use quantity
• 3 counts possession/consumption of a controlled counterfeit substance without a prescription
• 3 counts possession of drug paraphernalia
• 1 count of illegal camping/trespassing under State Park regulations
• 1 count of possession of a prohibited item (BB gun) under State Park regulations

Garner was arraigned before the Justice of the Peace Court 3 in Georgetown and released on his own recognizance pending notification in the Court of Common Pleas.

This was K-9 Vos’s first drug alert on patrol. He recently graduated from the Delaware State Police K-9 narcotics detection training program, and now serves in both patrol and narcotics detection capacities.

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 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 DNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

LEWES – The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has rescheduled repairs to the Gordons Pond elevated boardwalk at Cape Henlopen State Park for Monday, Feb. 10 and Tuesday, Feb. 11, due to inclement weather. Construction was originally scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 6.

The closure is due to necessary repairs to the boardwalk’s railing. Access to the boardwalk where it meets the trail on the north and south points will also be closed during this time. The popular boardwalk is located at the beginning of the trail near the Biden Center and the Herring Point parking lot.

DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation plans to repair the railing where it has pulled away from the rest of the boardwalk over the years to keep it safe for use. To repair the railing, bolts must be driven through supports under the bridge to keep the railing in place, which requires decking to be removed.

All other Cape Henlopen State Park trails will remain open during the repairs. For a map of the park’s trails, including the Gordons Pond Trail, stop by the Park Office or go to https://destateparks.com/Beaches/CapeHenlopen.

LEWES – The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) will close the Gordons Pond elevated boardwalk along the Gordons Pond Trail at Cape Henlopen State Park on Wednesday, Feb. 5 and Thursday, Feb. 6 for repairs to its railing. Access to the boardwalk where it meets the trail on the north and south points will also be closed during this time.

The popular boardwalk is located at the beginning of the trail near the Biden Center and the Herring Point parking lot, between the 2 and 2.5 mile markers if traveling north along the Gordons Pond Trail. If traveling south, the boardwalk is located between the .5 and 1 mile markers.

DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation plans to repair the railing where it has pulled away from the rest of the boardwalk over the years to keep it safe for use. To repair the railing, bolts must be driven through supports under the bridge to keep the railing in place, which requires decking to be removed.

All other Cape Henlopen State Park trails will remain open during the repairs. For a map of the park’s trails, including the Gordons Pond Trail, stop by the Park Office or go to destateparks.com/Beaches/CapeHenlopen.

LEWES  – The Gordons Pond Trail at Cape Henlopen State Park will close at 7 a.m. Monday, Sept. 16 for routine trail maintenance and invasive species control. The area will remain closed until Division of Parks & Recreation staff have completed the necessary work on the trail.

The invasive species that will be treated is known as phragmites. Phragmites is an aggressive wetlands grass which outcompetes native plants. The treatment of this species will help create a better environment for native plants as well as improve the view-shed for trail users.

DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation thanks trail users for their patience and understanding as the area is undergoing maintenance. All work is weather dependent.

Media contact: Jayme Gravell, DNREC Division of Parks & Recreation, 302.739.7112

-End-

LEWES (Aug. 29, 2019) – The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park will reopen today, August 29, DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation announced. The area to reopen includes a stretch of ocean beach and dunes that was previously closed on March 1 to benefit more than 30 species of shorebirds including up to 11 species of terns, six species of gulls, the brown pelican, and the double-crested cormorant as well as threatened and endangered species such as red knots, piping plovers, least terns, oystercatchers, and others.

Piping plovers, least terns and oystercatchers nest on the upper portion of the beach between the high tide line and the toe of the dunes and on large flat areas known as “washover flats” created by storm waves. The flat areas with no or little vegetation are attractive to these species because they provide direct access to the bay where waves are smaller, and feeding is easier.

Oystercatchers use their long bills to probe into the substrate and feed on bivalve mollusks and invertebrates. Piping plovers east small invertebrates like worms, mollusks and crustaceans gleaned from the surface of wet sand of mud. Various breeds of terns exclusively feed on the fish caught by diving into the water. Other migratory birds feed on invertebrates and by overturning rocks, shells, and debris to catch creatures seeking shelter underneath.

The bayside closure remains in effect until October 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter. Piping plovers migrate to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States; least terns migrate to coastal areas of South America and Central America; oystercatchers typically migrate to the Florida coast and Gulf of Mexico.

DNREC’s Divisions of Parks & Recreation, Fish & Wildlife, and Watershed Stewardship have been working together since 1990 to implement a management plan to halt the decline of beachnester and migratory shorebird populations. The Point has been closed annually since 1993 and is the only undisturbed beach habitat along the Atlantic coast of Delaware.

For more information, contact Cape Henlopen State Park at 302-645-8983.