DOVER (April 12, 2013) – To achieve public compliance through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, between April 3 and April 9 DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Enforcement agents made 1,135 contacts with hunters, anglers, boaters and the general public, including 12 boating safety/fishing regulation compliance checks. Agents responded to 36 complaints and issued 41 citations. Incidents of particular note included: 

• On April 8, following an investigation, agents arrested Howard B. Carter IV, 35, of Middletown and charged him with possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle, hunting from a roadway, third degree conspiracy, hunting wild turkey without a permit, failure to register wild turkey, illegal possession of wild turkey, hunting wild turkey during a closed season and failure to wear required camouflage while hunting wild turkey. Carter was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 11 in New Castle and released pending a later trial in a higher court. 
• Agents arrested two local fugitives. On April 4, Lanier L. Bright, 41, of Millsboro, was taken into custody on a Justice of the Peace Court warrant and released after posting bail. Bright was also cited for trespassing after hours in a state wildlife area. On April 8, Sarah King, 40, of Millsboro, was taken into custody on a Justice of the Peace Court 3 warrant and committed to Sussex Correctional Institute in default of bond. King and a companion were also cited for trespassing after hours in a state wildlife area. 
• On April 5, a 24-year-old Wilmington man was cited for possession of an undersized snapping turtle, which the man had offered for sale online. Agents also issued a warning to the man about two other turtles found in his possession for which he did not have a permit. All three turtles were turned over to Division of Fish and Wildlife’s aquatic education staff. 

Citations issued by violation type included the following, with the number of charges in parentheses: 

Wildlife Conservation: Possession of a loaded firearm in a motor vehicle (1), hunting from a roadway (1), hunting wild turkey without required permit (1), failure to register wild turkey (1), illegal possession of wild turkey (1), hunting wild turkey during a closed season (1), and failure to wear required camouflage while hunting wild turkey (1), and possession of an undersized snapping turtle (1), New Castle County; Trespassing  after hours in a state wildlife area (8), illegally offering antlered deer parts for sale (2), commercialization of native wildlife (1), and an international wildlife trafficking violation for offering for sale a taxidermy-mounted bear (1)*, Sussex County. 

* A press release on the commercialization of wildlife case was issued earlier this week: Milford man charged with illegally selling mounted wildlife .

Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Unlicensed fishing (6), fishing in a closed trout stream (3), over limit trout (1), and no trout stamp (1), New Castle County.

Public Safety: Parking violations related to trout season opening day (8), New Castle County.

 Other: Criminal mischief (1), and third degree conspiracy (1), Sussex County.

Are you AWARE?

 The Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section reminds hunters that the 2013 Delaware spring turkey hunting season opens Saturday, April 13, and runs through Saturday, May 11. Hunting hours are a half-hour before sunrise until 1 p.m., Monday through Saturday. 

Delaware hunters are reminded that they must have successfully completed a mandatory one-day turkey hunter education class before they can legally hunt wild turkeys in Delaware. Turkey hunters also are required to carry their Hunter Education Card certifying successful completion of the course. Hunting on public lands is by preseason lottery permit only. Hunters must carry their public lands permit while hunting and may only hunt the designated area and season segment/dates specified in the permit.

 Bag limit is one bearded bird per year; birds without beards may not be taken. All birds taken must be checked by 2:30 p.m. on the day of the hunt at an authorized turkey check station. For a list of check stations, click Turkey Check Stations. 

For more information, pick up a copy of the 2012-2013 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide at your local hunting license dealer, or check it out online at Delaware Hunting Guide.

The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters and boaters who comply with and support Delaware’s fishing, hunting and boating laws and regulations. Citizens are encouraged to report fish and wildlife and boating violations to the Delaware Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section by calling 302-739-4580. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Hunting/Pages/OpGameTheft.aspx .

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DOVER (April 12, 2013) – The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has announced that preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps for portions of Kent County have been released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The preliminary maps are available online at www.rampp-team.com/de.htm.  

DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterway Management Section worked with FEMA to produce the new preliminary flood risk maps for Kent County. FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted the modeling and mapping for the tidal portions of the Delaware Bay in Kent County. DNREC in cooperation with URS Corporation conducted the modeling and mapping of the non-tidal portions of Kent County in the Murderkill watershed.

The preliminary maps include proposed changes to the existing Flood Insurance Rate Maps in Kent County along the Delaware Bay shoreline and adjacent tidal floodplains and the non-tidal portions of the Murderkill watershed upstream to Harrington. The proposed changes include additions or modifications of base flood elevations, base flood depths, Special Flood Hazard Area boundaries, zone designations or regulatory floodways.

FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program makes flood insurance available to local property owners. Mortgage lenders require borrowers whose properties are located in a designated special flood hazard area to purchase flood insurance as a condition of receiving a federally backed mortgage loan in accordance with the Federal Disaster Protection Act of 1973. Over the past several years, DNREC has helped several Delaware communities join the national flood insurance program.

Standard homeowners insurance does not cover damage incurred by flooding, however, all property owners can purchase flood insurance. Homeowners interested in how the proposed changes could impact the cost of their flood insurance premium should contact their insurance agent.

The Preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps and the Flood Insurance Study report for Kent County watersheds and communities are available for review online www.rampp-team.com/de.htm and can also be viewed at respective Community Map Repository address listed in the table below.

The effective Flood Insurance Rate Maps, which indicate the current floodplain boundaries and areas of greatest flood risk, can be found at www.msc.fema.gov.

Public comments on the proposed Flood Insurance Rate Maps, identified by Docket No. FEMA-B-1301, can be submitted in writing to Luis Rodriguez, Chief, Engineering Management Branch, Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration, FEMA, 500 C Street SW., Washington, DC 20472, (202) 646-4064, or by email Luis.Rodriguez3@fema.dhs.gov. The federal register notice can be viewed at https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/04/04/2013-07817/proposed-flood-hazard-determination.

For additional information on the preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps, contact Greg Williams or Michael Powell, DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship at (302) 739-9921. For information on the DNREC’s flood mitigation program, visit DNREC’s website at http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/swc/Drainage/Pages/Flooding.aspx. 

Contact: Melanie Rapp, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Vol. 43, No 143

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DELAWARE CITY (April 11, 2013)  – The last of three community meetings on the future of the Historic Fort DuPont Complex will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 18, at the Delaware City Community Center, located at 250 Fifth Street (5th & Bayard).

After dozens of stakeholder interviews, two prior community meetings that attracted more than 120 people each, and extensive market research and analysis, the project team will present details of its recommendations to the public. The work also included a building-by-building condition survey and in-depth topographical studies. 

After the presentation, participants may ask questions of project experts on historic preservation, planning, design and financial analysis.

The project team is led by Sasaki Associates of Watertown, Mass., a planning and design firm that has worked on many similar projects, including former military sites. 

Fort DuPont, named after Rear Admiral Samuel Francis DuPont, originated during the Civil War. Along with Fort Delaware and Fort Mott, New Jersey, the fort successfully defended this strategic point along the Delaware River from naval attack through 1921. Of the three, Fort DuPont was the main defense site during World War I. The fort housed prisoners of war from Germany’s Afrika Corps during World War II, and was decommissioned after the war ended. Governor Bacon Health Center opened on the site in 1947. 

The site contains six Endicott Era (1885-1905) gun batteries, named for President Grover Cleveland’s Secretary of War, William C. Endicott. DNREC maintains a boat launch into the Branch Canal adjoining Delaware City, and historic groups have adopted some of the buildings for renovation. Trails within the park are frequented by birdwatchers. 

 Contact: Lee Ann Walling, DNREC Planning Section, 302-739-9006, or Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902 

Vol. 43, No. 141

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MILFORD (April 10, 2013) – An investigation that began in January culminated in DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife Enforcement agents citing a Milford man for illegally offering mounted deer heads, turkeys and a bear for sale online.

On April 4, John J. Ament Jr., 57, of Milford, was charged with two counts of offering for sale antlered deer, one count of commercialization of wildlife and one count  international wildlife trafficking violation* for offering for sale a mounted bear, a violation under an international wildlife treaty to which Delaware adheres.

The mounted wildlife items were seized as evidence. Ament, who has the option to pay the citation or opt for a trial, could face more than $2,600 in fines and court costs for the alleged violations.

 Under the Delaware Code, it is unlawful for any person to collect, possess, import, export, buy, sell or offer for sale any native wildlife species or any part thereof without a permit from the director of the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife, or, alternately, written documentation to confirm that said wildlife was legally taken and transported from another state. 

In a second, unrelated case, following an investigation into illegal taxidermy, Thomas G. Baker, 57, of Felton, was arrested on March 27 and charged with eight counts of illegal possession of untagged migratory waterfowl, one count of working without a federal migratory bird taxidermy permit, and one count of illegal possession of a wild bird for mounting purposes. Baker was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 3 in Georgetown with a court date pending.

 “In Delaware, in order to provide services, a taxidermist must have a valid business license, and also must adhere to state and federal wildlife laws and regulations as applicable, including observing permit, tag and species restrictions,” said Sgt. Gregory Rhodes of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement. 

* The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international agreement to which more than 170 countries worldwide adhere voluntarily, with the aim of ensuring that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. Although participation in CITES is legally binding, it does not take the place of national laws. Rather, it provides a framework to be respected by each country, which must then adopt its own domestic legislation to ensure that CITES is implemented at the national level. 

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife Enforcement Section works to achieve public compliance through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety. Citizens are encouraged to report fish and wildlife and boating violations to the Delaware Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section by calling 302-739-4580.

Contact: Sgt. Gregory Rhodes, Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement, 302-739-9913 or 302-542-6102, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902 

Vol. 43, No. 140

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DOVER (April 9, 2013) – DNREC’s Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program is seeking nominations for the 2013 Delaware Wetland Warrior Award, which recognizes exemplary efforts to protect wetlands and the critical services they provide to all Delawareans.

The Wetland Warrior award, now in its sixth year, is presented annually to a citizen, organization, business or group that has demonstrated outstanding efforts to benefit Delaware wetlands through outreach and education, monitoring and assessment, or restoration and protection. The award will be presented on Governor’s Day, Thursday, July 25, at the Delaware State Fair in Harrington.

Information on submitting a nomination is available on DNREC’s Delaware Wetlands web page. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, June 21. For more information, please contact Wetland Outreach Specialist Maggie Pletta at 302-739-9939, or email Margaret.Pletta@delaware.gov.

“The award recognizes wetland stewards who have made an effort to help ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the natural services provided by wetlands that contribute to our quality of life including clean water, flood and storm protection, and wildlife habitat,” said Pletta. “Wetland Warriors are Delaware’s environmental heroes – who work tirelessly to slow wetland loss, help restore degraded wetlands, preserve habitat, increase awareness of the value of wetlands and bolster support for their protection.”

The 2012 Wetland Warrior recipients were:

• Clif Bakhsh of Middletown, a member of Delaware Ducks Unlimited’s Appoquinimink Chapter who has been active for more than 25 years in numerous local and national roles, was recognized for his dedication to preserving open space in Delaware and to educating children about the benefits of wetlands.
• David Carter, a biologist and wetland professional with DNREC for more than 25 years, was recognized for his use of innovative planning and funding tools to improve the management and protection of wetlands in the state, as well as supporting outreach and education initiatives such as Thank You Delaware Bay.

For a complete list of past recipients, visit DNREC’s Wetland Warrior Page.

Delaware has more than 320,000 acres of wetlands, comprising about 25 percent of the state’s area. Wetlands protect lives and property from the impacts of floods and storms, filter pollutants and improve water quality, reduce erosion and provide critical habitat for fish and wildlife. Almost every part of our state is within one mile of a wetland – making wetland protection vital to our health and safety.

DNREC studies indicate that over the past 15 years, more than 3,896 acres of wetlands were lost statewide due to conversion to other land uses. This acreage is significant because in the previous 10-year period, the total statewide wetland loss was 1,996 acres. These recent trends make recognizing the conservationists who have prioritized wetlands even more important. It is through natural resource stewards, such as Wetland Warrior, that Delaware will protect its natural treasures.

Check out the “How You Can Help” webpage to learn more about opportunities to protect wetlands. Here you can find the Wetland Public Participation Guidebook, a comprehensive resource developed to inspire citizens to take actions to protect wetlands. Also featured is the latest information on wetland health, wetland loss studies, regulations, wetland impacts and how they can be prevented, and how the public can get involved with local land use decisions that could affect wetlands. Also on the webpage is a new wetlands video highlighting wetland benefits, Purify, Provide, and Protect.  

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 43, No. 137

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