Last year’s volunteers found plenty of trash around Concord Pond, a popular fishing spot. /DNREC photo

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and partners are seeking volunteers to join this year’s cleanup event at Concord Pond, a popular bass fishing and boating destination in Sussex County that drains into Deep Creek at the cleanup site. Registration is open now for the cleanup to be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 13 as part of DNREC’s month-long celebration of Earth Day 2024.

DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship Reclaim Our River – Nanticoke Series program is partnering with Nanticoke Watershed Alliance and the Delaware Nature Society’s Abbott’s Mill Nature Center to host the cleanup, with volunteers gathering in the pond’s parking area near the intersection of Concord Pond Road and Henry Drive in Seaford.

Volunteers will remove trash from both the tidal and nontidal areas around the pond. Gloves and trash bags and some trash grabbers will be provided. However, participants are encouraged to bring their own gloves and trash grabbers if they have them.

More information about the Concord Pond cleanup can be found on the DNREC website. To join DNREC in celebrating Earth Day throughout the month of April, visit de.gov/earthday.

The Reclaim Our River partnership hosts events, presentations, and workshops that promote healthy watersheds. Upcoming activities are posted on the DNREC Calendar of Events and Division of Watershed Stewardship Facebook page.

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, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

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

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 DNREC uses controlled, or prescribed, burns to manage meadows and create more suitable habitats for native species like, clockwise from left, the monarch butterfly, common yellowthroat bird, eastern bluebird and orange sulphur butterfly. DNREC Photos

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is working with the Delaware Department of Agriculture to execute a controlled burn at Brandywine Creek State Park in February or March. This prescribed burn will help manage nearly 30 acres of meadowland near the park’s nature center.

While much of the natural area managed by the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation is forested, Brandywine Creek State Park is known for its vast meadowland views divided by blue gneiss stone walls. The last controlled burn at BCSP was held in 2013.

Prescribed burning is a meadow management technique, which mimics natural fire and is used periodically in place of annual mowing, to halt progression of meadowland so it does not become a forest. Additionally, this controlled burn should encourage the growth of native wildflowers and warm season grasses. This plant growth creates more suitable habitats for nesting grassland birds like the eastern bluebird and common yellowthroat, native pollinator insects like the orange sulphur and monarch butterflies, and other grassland-dependent animals.

The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation is coordinating with DNREC’s Division of Air Quality and the DDA Forest Service to perform the burn on a single day, to be determined by weather, personnel availability and open burning approval. BCSP will be closed on the date of the burn and the exact date will be announced on the park’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, once it is known.

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, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

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

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Effective Monday, August 14, 2023, motorists can expect inspection and maintenance changes that will impact the registration of their vehicles, especially in Sussex County.

On January 11, 2023, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) revised the Motor Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance regulations in Delaware in an attempt to reduce emissions and improve air quality.

The amendments to Regulation 1126 and Regulation 1131 include:

• OBD-II* testing for vehicles model year 1996 to 2007 with a MGVWR** up to, 8,500 lbs. in all three counties including Sussex County.
• OBD-II testing for vehicles model year 2008 and newer with a MGVWR up to 14,000 lbs. in all three counties including Sussex County.
• Vehicles model year 1995 and older will require a curb idle and gas cap test in all three counties including Sussex County.
• Stricter penalties for removing or modifying the emission control system in a vehicle in all three counties.

Currently, there are more than one million vehicles registered in the State of Delaware, with 323,576 vehicles registered in Sussex County. Residents, especially in Sussex County, are urged to give themselves extra time for registration renewal, particularly if they believe their vehicle will need repair under the new regulations. Motorists can renew their registration up to 90 days prior to its expiration.

For more information about the changes, CLICK HERE or visit dmv.de.gov.

*OBD-II (On-Board Diagnostics II) – plug inserted from a computer into a vehicle’s dashboard to download information about the performance of the vehicle’s emissions system.

*MGVWR – Manufacturer’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating

The Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is excited to announce its new specialty Support Pollinators License Plate recently won the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association’s (ALPCA) Best Plate Award for 2021.

This morning at 10:00 am Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski, Deputy Secretary of Transportation Shanté Hastings, Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles Director Jana Simpler, Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles Deputy Director Amy Anthony, Senator Stephanie Hansen, and Cyndi McCabe President of the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association gathered at St. Jones Reserve in Dover to celebrate the award-winning plate.

The Support Pollinators Plate showcases a combination of vibrant colors, native plants, birds, bees, and butterflies. By purchasing the plate for a one-time fee of $50 online or at any DMV location, you help support pollinator habitat maintenance throughout the State of Delaware. Seventy percent of the fee or $35 goes directly to the Delaware Department of Transportation’s Environmental Stewardship Office to assist with creating, enhancing, and preserving pollinator habitats.

“At DMV we strive to provide a first-class experience for everyone whether in person, on the phone or online,” shared Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski. “Our specialty plates give our customers the ability to financially support an organization and an avenue to proudly display their support. For us they are more than just aluminum collections of numbers you affix a sticker every couple of years. They symbolize causes near and dear to our customers. It’s a service we are proud to provide.”

“The Support Pollinators Plate bloomed from a collaboration between DelDOT’s Environmental Studies Office, Senator Stephanie Hansen, former Secretary of Transportation Jennifer Cohen, and the Delaware Native Species Commission,” commented Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles Jana Simpler. “The process took about 2 years and we were beyond thrilled with the final design. It’s really a stunning plate. We are so grateful to be recognized by APLCA.”

“So much of the food we eat everyday depends on the tiniest animals whose incredible work many of us take for granted, and one of the best ways we can protect the fragile ecosystems of these often highly-specialized creatures is by making sure we are all aware of their importance,” said Senator Stephanie Hansen, D-Middletown. “That’s why I worked with Representative Debra Heffernan, Senator Dave Sokola and the Delaware DMV last year to create a special Delaware license plate for people who want to support pollinator habitat creation and conservation. While we didn’t set out to win any awards, we all know how serious Delaware takes its license plates, and I’m so excited this beautiful design is getting the attention it deserves.”

ALPCA’s Best Plate Award Coordinator Gus Oliver said “Many of the members commented about the combination of attractiveness and how the plate number did not interfere with the design like it does with most colorful plates. I knew it had an excellent chance of winning the moment I first saw it.”

Community Relations Officer Susan Lee crafted the initial plate design and Susan Detwiler an author and illustrator from Baltimore, Maryland transformed the concept into the colorful work of art now available from DMV. To date, 531 Support Pollinators plates have been reserved since its June 2021 release.

To purchase yours or one of our other specialty plates go to dmv.de.gov/VehicleServices/tags/. Also, make sure to stop by and see us at the Delaware State Fair July 21 through July 30. In addition to DMV’s annual 5 digit black and white tag giveaway, we’ll be giving away a Support Pollinators Plate to recognize this special plate and all it’s attempting to achieve.

This is the state’s second time winning an ALPCA for best license plate. Back in 2008, the organization declared Delaware’s limited-edition Centennial License Plate the best in the country. The DMV currently has 135 specialty plates representing a variety of organizations and causes. Out of the 1,141,367 vehicles registered in the State of Delaware 39,044 are specialty plates.

ALPCA members worldwide nominate the best new plates and then vote based on two judging criteria: the overall attractiveness of the license plate design and its legibility as a tool for public safety and law enforcement. Since 1954, ALPCA has promoted license plate collecting and research, the exchange of information and plates. With over 2,800 members from 50 states and 19 countries, ALPCA is the largest license plate hobbyist organization in the world. For more information on the award or to see the other nominees visit alpca.org/bestplate/2021/.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control today unveiled a refresh of its brand and visual identity, including a new logo, vibrant color palette, versatile typeface and modern illustration style.

The refreshed brand design builds on the Department’s history of commitment to responsible use and protection of the natural environment.

“The new look is inspired by our mission to protect human health and the environment, how technology has changed the way we communicate with each other and the public, and how we endeavored to give everyone a voice in what we do,” said Secretary Shawn M. Garvin.

DNREC worked with the Department of State’s Government Information Center, an in-house creative consultancy, to redesign the logo and elevate the brand experience.

The logo features a vibrant sun shining high in the sky along with three yellow poplar trees representing the three counties in Delaware. The land has a slight bow to represent Delaware’s low elevation. The water, land and sky represent the different elements of the natural environment.

The new circular shape evokes a sense of community and positivity. The earthy green symbolizes freshness, growth and balance while the blues represent serenity, stability, inspiration and wisdom. The vibrant yellow promotes hope.

DNREC protects, preserves, and enhances Delaware’s environment for current and future generations. It has several divisions, each focused on different parts of the mission. Over the year ahead, division logos will transition to a branded house strategy to visually organize them as complementary extensions to the DNREC brand and best represent their core functions.

The Department has already updated its website and social media networks. Content in print or other channels will transition to the new look over time.

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. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

About GIC
The Government Information Center is a division of the Delaware Department of State with the mission to help harness the power of the internet and connect citizens to their government. The GIC is a small team of professionals including web developers, user experience/interface designers, graphic designers, video producers, social media experts, information systems managers and others that work with state and local government agencies to help them connect, though the web, with the citizens of Delaware.

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

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