DOVER – A World War II model M2 90 mm anti-aircraft gun is scheduled to be delivered to the Fort Miles Artillery Park in Cape Henlopen State Park on Thursday, March 30, through a partnership between DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation and the Fort Miles Historical Association.

The gun came from the collection at the National Electronics Museum in Linthicum, Md., which determined the Fort Miles Artillery Park was the best-suited location for permanent placement because of its reputation for interpretation.

“The Fort Miles Historical Association is dedicated to bringing in important World War II artifacts to the artillery park which benefits Delawareans and visitors alike,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “We salute the association’s commitment to remembering ‘The Greatest Generation’ that served at the Fort, who kept our country safe during WWII. This latest acquisition also contributes to Delaware’s tourism industry and helps boost our economy by adding to the artillery park’s historic appeal.”

This type of 32,000-pound anti-aircraft gun was used on ships in both the European and Pacific theaters during WWII. It could fire either high explosive or armor-piercing shells weighting 24 pounds at a rate of about 25 rounds per minute. These projectiles would leave the muzzle at a velocity of 2,700 feet per second and were capable of hitting land or water-based targets up to 11 miles away, or aircraft flying up to 34,000 feet in the air.

Unlike the other guns in the collection on display in the park, the M2 is the only type that was actually used at Fort Miles. “This was a model that was actually used at Fort Miles towards the end of the war,” said Jim Hall, chief of cultural resources for the Division of Parks & Recreation. “We know they were being used here for top-secret research starting in early 1944 that involved the ‘Proximity Fuze’ – the development of which none other than Gen. George S. Patton believed was second only in importance to the atomic bomb in bringing victory to the Allied Forces.”

Hall said a radio transmitter inside the “fuze” of an artillery shell sent out and received radio signals, constantly calculating distance – proximity – so that the shell would detonate when it was near a plane or tank instead of making direct contact with the target. Fort Miles served as the proving ground for this highly-classified technology prior to its being deployed during WWII.

Prior to installation in the Artillery Park, onsite restoration of the gun by Fort Miles volunteers should be completed this fall.

Vol. 47, No. 70

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DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation reminds visitors to Delaware’s state parks that entrance fees are back in effect, being collected through Nov. 30, 2017.

Revenue generated from park entrance fees is used to manage 16 state parks and more than 26,000 acres of state park lands. Delaware’s state parks are primarily self-funded, with 65 percent of revenue to operate and maintain the parks generated by park users. The revenue is used for trail maintenance, environmental and recreational programs, visitor amenities, guarded beaches, management of campgrounds, cabins and more.

The entrance fees remain unchanged from last year. However the annual pass has a new look. For the first time, the passes will adhere to the outside of the windshield. “So many of our park visitors had difficulty removing the pass, and tinted windows made it challenging for fee booth attendants and park rangers to see the pass,” said Division Park Administrator Mary Voshell. “It was time for the Division to move the pass to the outside of the windshields.”

Daily park entrance fees for vehicles registered in Delaware are $4 at inland parks and $5 at ocean parks. Fees for out-of-state vehicles are $8 at inland parks and $10 at ocean parks.

Where fee attendants are not on duty, visitors should deposit the daily fee in the self-registration envelopes provided at park entrances and place them in the designated secured drop boxes.

“Staff in the DNREC Division of Parks & Recreation understand the significance of each person paying a park entrance fee to support the operation and maintenance of the parks,” said Ray Bivens, director of the Division of Parks & Recreation. “It’s especially rewarding to be recognized as the 2016-17 National Gold Medal Award winner for excellence in the field of park and recreation management, a reflection of our parks staff’s commitment to providing quality customer service to park visitors.”

Annual passes are a convenient way to access the parks for the entire fee season. “For just $35, Delaware residents can enjoy unlimited park visits to get their children outdoors and visit the parks with friends and family,” Bivens added. “I want to thank all those who support our efforts to preserve and protect open space, improve services and expand recreational opportunities.”

For individuals 62 and older with Delaware license plates, annual passes cost $18. Seniors with an out-of-state registered vehicle pay $35. A $65 Lifetime Pass is available for Delawareans 65 and older. Reduced rates are also offered to Delawareans who receive public assistance, are active duty military or veterans.  Active duty military personnel with an out-of-state license plate can purchase an annual pass at the in-state rate.  Please visit www.destateparks.com  for further information and requirements.

In addition, the new Corporate Pass program offers participating businesses, nonprofits and other groups discounted annual passes for their employees. “These passes give employers a way to promote health and wellness in the workplace, while providing employees with a benefit they can feel good about,” said Bivens. For more information or to purchase corporate passes please contact Caroline Foltz at caroline.foltz@delaware.gov.

Vehicle entrance fees are charged at the following state parks: Alapocas Run, Bellevue, Brandywine Creek, Cape Henlopen, Beach Plum Island Nature Preserve, Delaware Seashore, Fenwick Island, Fort DuPont, Fox Point, Holts Landing, Killens Pond, Lums Pond, Trap Pond, and White Clay Creek. The Brandywine Zoo and Fort Delaware charge individual fees to enter the zoo and ride the ferry to Fort Delaware.

Parks officials remind customers that annual passes and surf fishing permits can be purchased online to save time when they visit a park during fee season. “Many times park visitors wait until they visit a park before purchasing their season pass, but this can take extra time away from enjoying the park,” Voshell added. “By purchasing the pass online, park visitors avoid the lines at the park offices.”

Annual park passes may be purchased online at www.destateparks.com, at all park offices, at DNREC’s main office in the Richardson & Robbins building at 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, and at six retail locations.

For more information visit: http://www.destateparks.com/fees/passes/index.asp

Vol. 47, No. 49

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LEWES  – The Pinelands Nature Trail at Cape Henlopen State Park reopened today following tree maintenance work. The trail closed Feb. 17 when Division of Parks & Recreation staff noticed that trees had fallen on – or were leaning over – the trail. Parks staff removed a number of those trees within the trail to ensure public safety.

Most of the trees taken from the trail were in a low-lying area near the trailhead adjacent the Seaside Nature Center Parking area.

Dover – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation is initiating the Corporate Pass Program to offer participating businesses discounted annual passes for employees and other benefits. The Corporate Pass Program gives employers a way to promote health and wellness in the workplace, while providing employees with a benefit they can feel good about.
“We are very excited to partner with businesses and offer employers a new benefit for their employees,” said Delaware State Parks Enterprise Development Coordinator Caroline Foltz. “An annual park pass gives employees a way to spend time with their families, enjoy outdoor activities and programs, and support Delaware State Parks’ mission of environmental preservation in Delaware.”
The Corporate Pass Program includes:
• An annual pass in a personalized gift card for each employee;
• A presentation to employees to present the many programs and services offered in the state parks;
• Copies of seasonal publications of available programs, concerts, special events, and educational opportunities available in Delaware State Parks;
• 10 percent off RV, tent and cabin rentals in a Delaware State Parks campground;
• Five percent off water-front cottages at Indian River Marina.

Business benefits include:
• 20 percent off the price of any special event and meeting facility in Delaware State Parks;
• A free pavilion rental for the purchase of 50 to 250 passes;
• Two free pavilion rentals for the purchase of more than 250 passes;
• Free one-hour boat rental for each pass purchased;
• Free use of the picnic area for businesses that purchase passes for less than 50 people.

Rate Structure:
• The cost of a pass is $30.00 per employee, discounted from the regular $35 per person. Programs and activities can be designed to fit the needs of individual companies.
• Corporate Pass Benefits good for one year.

Awarded the National Gold Medal Award for the best managed state park system in the country for 2016 and 2017, Delaware State Parks has 16 beautiful parks featuring hundreds of miles of multi-use trails, guarded beaches, water craft rentals, a newly renovated water park, five campgrounds, nature centers, historical monuments and sites with incredible living history programs, summer concert series, theBrandywine Zoo, two golf courses and two equestrian centers.

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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