Pinelands Nature Trail at Cape Henlopen State Park closed temporarily for tree maintenance work

LEWES – The Pinelands Nature Trail at Cape Henlopen State Park closed today for arbor maintenance work and will reopen after Division of Parks & Recreation staff have removed a number of trees within the trail for safety purposes.

Most of the trees to be taken from the trail are in a low-lying area near the trailhead adjacent the Seaside Nature Center Parking area. The work is expected to be completed late next week.

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

Vol. 47, No. 39

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Dunes in state parks closed to sledding and snowboarding

REHOBOTH BEACH – With predictions of snow in the forecast, DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation reminds residents and visitors that dunes should not be used for sledding or snowboarding.

“Dunes contain fragile habitat and provide protection for the beaches and the communities that border them,” said Pat Cooper, Cape Henlopen State Park superintendent. “Recent storms have already caused some damage, so we’re asking the public to help protect the dunes in our ocean parks.”

Except for marked crossings, dunes are closed year-round to pedestrian traffic and activities in Cape Henlopen and Delaware Seashore State Parks.

Vol. 47, No. 3

Contact: Beth Shockley, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902 or Pat Cooper, Delaware State Parks, 302-227-2800.

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New state park annual pass sales postponed at Cape Henlopen State Park office

LEWES – Annual state park pass sales at Cape Henlopen State Park will be postponed this year due to ongoing renovation of the park office, Division of Parks & Recreation officials announced today. In-person purchases of park passes begin at parks statewide Nov. 28.

During construction this fall, park staff sold passes at the fee booth at the park entrance. This worked well for the smaller numbers of passes sold during the fall. However, the passes are very popular for gift giving, and demand is high during the holiday season.

Once the renovation is complete, 2017 pass and permit sales will resume. In the interim, passes are available online beginning Nov. 25 at destateparks.com/AnnualPass. Parks visitors can also buy passes and permits at the Indian River Life-Saving Station, 3.5 miles south of Dewey Beach on Delaware Route 1. The Indian River Lifesaving Station is open Wednesday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The new annual passes are $35 for residents and $18 for residents age 62 and older. These, along with surf tags and military passes will be available online beginning Friday, Nov. 25 at www.destateparks.com/fees/passes. On Nov. 28, the public can purchase them in person from other state park offices, DNREC’s Dover licensing desk in the Richardson & Robbins Building at 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, or from authorized agents including: Eastern Marine in Newark, Carlisle Marine in Smyrna, Sam’s Fishing and Tackle in Greenwood, That Place in Millsboro, and Dover Air Force Base and the Rehoboth Beach/Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center.

In the meantime, good news for visitors: the placement of the annual pass has changed this year. It adheres to the outside of a vehicle’s windshield, rather than the inside.

“Many of our customers were having difficulty removing the sticker, and with tinted windshields, the Division felt it was time to put the sticker on the outside,” said Mary Voshell, chief of the Division’s Office of Business Services. “On the outside, the pass will be much easier to adhere to – and remove from – the windshield.” The pass will also be much more visible, Voshell added. “Staff and park rangers can now more easily see the pass in order to waive customers through the entrance stations and to check for violations.”

Delaware State Parks annual park passes and surf permits make great holiday gifts for the entire family, providing a full year of outdoor adventure, in Delaware’s 14 state parks. Whether it’s to hike or bike one of the many trails, walk the sandy beaches, participate in a nature program or attend an evening concert, the annual pass is a gift filled with year round activities.

Delaware’s state parks are primarily self-funded; 65 percent of state park revenue used to operate and maintain the parks is generated by park users. Annual passes not only are important to sustain state parks, they are a convenient way to access the parks for the entire fee season, March 1 through Nov. 30

Income from annual pass sales and other user fees goes directly to Delaware State Parks, where it is used to manage more than 26,000 acres of state park land and to ensure visitor safety, maintain trails and historic buildings provide environmental education and recreational programs, manage habitats and species and provide campgrounds, cabins and cottages, and more. More information about Delaware’s State Parks is available at destateparks.com.

Delaware State Parks won the highest honor a state parks system can receive: the 2016 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. This prestigious award recognizes state parks systems throughout the nation that best address the needs of those they serve. Delaware State Parks was the only small state to ever be voted “America’s Best.”

Vol. 46, No. 407


The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park to close for 2016 beachnesting season

LEWES – The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, including a stretch of ocean beach and dunes, and a half mile along the bay shoreline, will close beginning Tuesday, March 1, for the benefit of threatened and endangered beachnesters and migratory shorebirds, including red knot, piping plovers, oystercatchers, least terns and other species.

The nesting habitat on the ocean side will reopen on Sept. 1. The bayside beach will remain closed until Oct. 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter.

DNREC’s Divisions of Parks and 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.

“We appreciate the public’s cooperation in this effort,” said Park Superintendent Paul Faircloth. “DNREC is committed to providing protection for these species, hopefully to prevent them from disappearing in Delaware.”

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

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

Vol. 46, No. 58


Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier temporarily closed starting Jan. 25 for decking replacement

LEWES – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation’s Planning, Preservation and Development Section today announced the temporary closure of the Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier for replacement of aging decking boards starting on Monday, Jan. 25.

Last year, the Division completed repairs to 125 pilings that had deteriorated and needed refitting and reinforcement. This upcoming project is the second phase of the most extensive repairs ever made to the popular pier, and will include decking and superstructure repairs costing $535,370.

The all-wooden pier was built during World War II by the U.S. Army as a mining wharf. Several rehabilitative efforts have been undertaken since 2007 to the pilings beneath the section of the pier that remains open for public use. The T-head portion of the pier was demolished in 2012 after its deteriorated condition was thought to pose a threat to safety and navigation. The Division of Parks & Recreation has been closely monitoring the condition of the pier since that time and has noticed an accelerated rate of deterioration in the structure.

The project to repair the pier is being funded through a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Sport Fishing Restoration grant along with park user fees and annual pass funds, and support from state legislators – Reps. Peter Schwartzkopf, Timothy Dukes and Stephen Smyk, and State Sen. Ernesto Lopez, Division Director Ray Bivens said.

The fishing pier decking repair is expected to take up to120 days to complete depending on weather conditions. For questions about the status of the project, please contact Cindy Todd with Delaware State Parks, at 302-739-9209.

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

Vol. 46, No. 21