^{Deauville Beach will become part of the Cape Henlopen State Park management unit. DNREC will provide lifeguards, parking, beach concessions, tennis courts, public restrooms and beach maintenance. /Delaware DNREC photo}

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will host a virtual community meeting Wednesday, March 27, at 6 p.m., to present information about the transition of management for Deauville Beach from the city of Rehoboth Beach. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation will share a proposal for daily entrance fees and seasonal pass for use of Deauville Beach. A list of frequently asked questions is available at www.destateparks.com. 

Deauville Beach includes an approximately 600-yard section of state-owned beach between Rehoboth Beach and the Henlopen Acres neighborhood. The Division of Parks and Recreation has assumed management of Deauville Beach for the 2024 season. DNREC and the city of Rehoboth Beach mutually agreed to the change in operations after they were not able to negotiate an extension of a previous lease of the beach to the city, which expired on June 30, 2023.

Deauville Beach will become part of the Cape Henlopen State Park management unit, which includes Gordon’s Pond, Beach Plum, Angola Neck and Cape Henlopen proper.

DNREC will provide lifeguards, parking, beach concessions, tennis courts, public restrooms and beach maintenance.

To join the March 27 virtual meeting, go to de.gov/dnrecmeetings.

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.

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

Due to a reduction in the Air Quality Index (AQI) CASH BOOTHS at the toll plazas OPENED at 4:45 pm today, June 8, 2023. The Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will continue to monitor the AQI forecast and determine the effects it may have, if any, on DMV operations for Friday, June 9, 2023.

Residents can continue to check the air quality for the coming days and sign up for air quality alerts at de.gov/aqi.

Customers can also avoid traveling outdoors by opting to complete more than 20 DMV transactions online at mydmv.delaware.gov/ including Delaware driver license, identification, and vehicle registration renewals, duplicates, and address changes.

DOVER, Del. (April 19, 2023) – The Delaware Association for Environmental Education (DAEE) is hosting the Fourteenth Annual DAEE Environmental Education Conference on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at Brandywine Springs Elementary, Wilmington, DE. This year’s conference theme, “Nature’s Best Hope, Our Role as Educators” will showcase a full day of sessions intended to connect people with nature, integrate environmental education into the school day, and cultivate environmental leaders. Throughout the day, the Conference will explore environmental education opportunities, resources, and best practices to help increase our connection with nature for this and future generations. This conference is geared towards classroom teachers, environmental education providers, community organizations and members of the general public. Conference registration is open.

Keynote speakers:

Morning Session – Dr. Doug Tallamy, New York Times Best Selling author
Afternoon Session – Dr. Katara Moore, Environmental Justice Coordinator for DNREC

The conference will include sessions from:

• Earth Force
• Mt. Cuba Center
• Delaware Museum of Nature & Science
• Hagley Museum
• Nanticoke Watershed Alliance
• Delaware Department of Agriculture
• Caesar Rodney School District
• Delaware Historical and Cultural Affairs
• DNREC Watershed Stewardship
• UD SeaGrant
• Delaware Nature Society
• Delaware State Parks
• Delaware Native Species Commission
• Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids
• Brandywine Springs Elementary School

This year’s conference includes 18 sessions, various partner exhibitors, networking time, conference giveaways, morning refreshments and lunch.

DAEE’s Annual Conference provides insight for community leaders, educators, and citizens on how to learn about the environment, conservation methods, best practices in environmental education, sustainability initiatives, and opportunities for individuals to make a difference in their communities.

The Delaware Association for Environmental Education (DAEE) is a volunteer led and run organization focusing on two main areas: engaging professionals in environmental education and engaging communities in nature. DAEE helps to ensure that every citizen in Delaware has the opportunity to become involved in meaningful outdoor experiences. DAEE provides resources for administrators, formal and non-formal educators, and concerned citizens on how and where to introduce students of all ages, to safe, educational, and life-changing outdoor experiences that will connect them to nature and instill the importance of conservation. Visit www.daeeonline.org to find out how you can get involved!

Dr. Katera Moore has been appointed DNREC’s – and the State of Delaware’s – first environmental justice coordinator. DNREC photo

New Webpage Builds on Commitment to Serve All Delawareans

Secretary Shawn M. Garvin today announced a new appointment to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s leadership structure, naming Dr. Katera Moore as the agency’s – and the state’s – first environmental justice coordinator. Dr. Moore will join DNREC’s Office of the Secretary to work with the state’s underserved communities, who historically have experienced disproportionately adverse human health and environmental impacts to their minority and low-income populations.

An experienced educator who holds a doctorate in Earth and Environmental Sciences with a specialization in geography from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Dr. Moore is an urban geographer who uses an environmental justice lens to focus on and examine how socio-political structures contribute to disparities that impact everyday life.

“At DNREC, environmental justice is part of our DNA,” Secretary Garvin said. “With her strong and diverse background – and already interacting with Delaware residents across the state in her short time here at DNREC – we look forward to Dr. Moore building on our commitment to expand and strengthen DNREC’s capacity for practicing and promoting a holistic environmental justice approach that benefits all Delawareans.”

Secretary Garvin also announced the launch of a new DNREC environmental justice webpage designed to be an evolving tool for two-way communication between the Department and constituents – especially those residing in the state’s underserved communities, for whom DNREC can help facilitate environmental justice that may be overdue.

“The new online resource is the result of community feedback, but it is a work in progress, so we encourage the community members to give us feedback on how we can make this EJ tool better,” he said of the new page de.gov/dnrecej. “This is a ‘living’ site for engaging Delawareans on their environmental justice concerns – engagement being an overarching tenet of our EJ mission.”

The new environmental justice webpage will also include a mapping tool that DNREC is currently developing that will enable Delawareans to use a wide range of screening criteria for pinpointing areas that have historically been vulnerable to contaminants and other pollution to the state’s land, air and water. Users are encouraged to make comments and suggestions for expanding both online content and capabilities in helping DNREC serve constituents.

“The Department under Governor Carney’s administration aims to be as accessible to the public as possible. We welcome – we want – public feedback on how we can do better at bringing environmental justice to the forefront of our work – feedback from the communities will help inform and strengthen Dr. Moore’s work as DNREC’s and Delaware’s EJ practitioner and advocate,” Secretary Garvin said.

As DNREC’s environmental justice coordinator, Dr. Moore is responsible for developing and leading the implementation of the agency’s strategic vision of environmental justice while seeing that it aligns with federal guidance on EJ issues. To that end, Dr. Moore also serves as DNREC’s Title VI coordinator.

Prior to joining DNREC last year as ombudsman for the DNREC Division of Waste and Hazardous Substances, Dr. Moore served as the interim associate director of the Einstein Health Network’s “A Better Start” program, building a strategic plan to address community public health, an overarching symptom of broader environmental injustice. For five years Dr. Moore served in a similar role as the director of the Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships. Dr. Moore received her Master of Environmental Studies and Bachelor of Urban Studies degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.

More information about environmental justice at DNREC – along with an opportunity for the public to share EJ ideas and suggestions on how the Department might better interact with the state’s underserved communities – can be found at de.gov/dnrecej.

DNREC also looks forward to receiving feedback and constructive criticism for helping develop online content that fosters active and meaningful participation on environmental justice issues.

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, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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