Delaware Natural Resources Police arrested 37-year-old Deanna T. Long of Wilmington, Del. for multiple criminal and traffic offenses following a vehicle pursuit yesterday.

On January 29, 2024, at approximately 5:20 p.m., a state park officer approached an individual sitting in a parked car at Fox Point State Park to advise them that the park was closed. The officer observed a woman sitting in the driver’s seat using a hypodermic needle to inject herself with an unknown substance.

The officer knocked on the car and contacted the woman who then opened the driver’s door to speak to the officer. As the officer was speaking to the driver, she put the vehicle into reverse and accelerated out of her parking spot. The open driver’s door struck the officer throwing him backwards into the front bumper of his patrol vehicle and then to the ground. The officer, assisted by additional police agencies then pursued the woman to a dead-end road in Wilmington where she was taken into custody following a short foot pursuit.

Long was then transported to New Castle City Police Department, where Natural Resources Police officers completed their investigation and charged Long with the following crimes:

• Resisting Arrest with Force or Violence and Intentionally Fleeing (Felony)
• Disregarding a Police Officer Signal (Felony)
• Vehicular Assault Second Degree Driving Under the Influence, Negligence (Class A Misdemeanor)
• Possess Controlled/Counterfeit Substance (Class B Misdemeanor) -2 Counts
• Driving While Suspended or Revoked (Misdemeanor)
• Aggressive Driving (Misdemeanor)
• Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (Misdemeanor)
• Unreasonable Speed (Violation)
• Failure to Stop at a Red Light (Violation)
• Improper Passing (Violation)
• Remain on Closed Lands Without Written Permission (Violation)

Long was video arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to Delores J. Baylor Women’s Correctional Institution on a $5,850 secured bond.

The state park officer was treated for minor injuries at Christiana Hospital and released.

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, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Captain John McDerby john.mcderby@delaware.gov

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A young angler shows off a catch made at a 2022 ‘Take-A-Kid Fishing!’ event held at DNREC’s Aquatic Resources Education Center. /DNREC photo

Registration Now Open for Series That Continues Through Late July

Do you know a child or young teen who might enjoy learning about fishing and delight in having the opportunity to catch a fish? The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control invites budding anglers ages 6 through 15 to come out with a parent, grandparent, or guardian and learn how to fish through the “Take A Kid Fishing!” program. Educators from the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Aquatic Resources Education Center will be on hand to lead the activities and teach fishing skills.

“Take a Kid Fishing!” events are offered free of charge to all participants, but advance registration is required at de.gov/takf. While all fishing equipment is provided at no charge for use at the events, advance registration ensures that enough fishing gear is on hand at each “Take A Kid Fishing!” date.

“Take a Kid Fishing!” teaches young anglers fundamental fishing skills and conservation concepts, including catch-and-release. Along with the angling experience, these free fishing events also feature activity stations and prizes. When participating in them, packing refreshments and a picnic lunch is encouraged.

“Take A Kid Fishing!” events will be held starting in April, with dates and locations below:

• 9 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, April 12, Silver Lake Park, Dover
• 9 a.m. to noon, Thursday April 13, Aquatic Resources Education Center, Smyrna
• 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, June 10, Lums Pond State Park, Bear
• 5 to 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 14, Aquatic Resources Education Center, Smyrna
• 5 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 22, Aquatic Resources Education Center, Smyrna
• 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, June 24, Aquatic Resources Education Center, Smyrna
• 9 a.m. to noon, Thursday, June 29, Aquatic Resources Education Center, Smyrna
• 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, July 1, Aquatic Resources Education Center, Smyrna
• 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, July 8, Aquatic Resources Education Center, Smyrna
• 9 a.m. to noon, Thursday, July 13, Aquatic Resources Education Center, Smyrna
• 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, July 15, Redden State Forest, Georgetown
• 5 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, July 20, Silver Lake Park, Dover,
• 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, July 22, Lums Pond State Park, Bear

“Take A Kid Fishing!” event dates can also be found at de.gov/takf.

Individuals 16 years of age and older who accompany and engage in fishing with “Take a Kid Fishing!” participants must have a current Delaware fishing license or a Delaware Fisherman Information Network (FIN) number. Delaware recreational fishing licenses are sold online and by license agents statewide. License-exempt anglers, including Delaware residents 65 and older, may obtain a free FIN number online or from a license agent where recreational fishing licenses are sold. Online services at de.gov/fishinglicense include fishing license purchases, FIN numbers, a list of participating license agents, and related information. Young people under the age of 16 are exempt from license and FIN requirements.

More information about fishing in the First State also can be found in the 2023 Delaware Fishing Guide. The guide is also available in printed form from license agents throughout the state.

“Take A Kid Fishing!” is sponsored by the DNREC Aquatic Resources Education Center, with host sites provided by the Division of Fish and Wildlife, DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation, the Delaware Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture and City of Dover Parks and Recreation.

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 Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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 The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation went back to annual passes with pictures for 2023. This year’s pass features Fort Delaware State Park on Pea Patch Island. Situated in the middle of the Delaware River, Fort Delaware was initially constructed in the mid-1800s to protect Wilmington and Philadelphia from enemy attack.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control reminds visitors to Delaware State Parks that 2023 entrance fees will be in effect starting Wednesday, March 1 through Nov. 30.

State 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. Entrance fees will remain in effect through Nov. 30, which is the normal fee season end date.

Daily park entrance fees may be paid via credit-card machine at most park locations, where fee attendants are on duty or via self-registration envelopes provided at park entrances that are then placed in designated secured drop boxes.

Annual passes are a convenient way to access Delaware State Parks for the entire fee season. Multiple types of annual passes are available, including resident, non-resident, active-duty military and veterans. Those who purchase annual passes online will receive a virtual pass that can be used up to 30 days from the date of purchase until the actual pass is received via mail.

Residents who receive certain types of public assistance can contact their case worker(s) for an assistance pass at a discount. Active duty military personnel who are stationed in Delaware also qualify for pass at a reduced rate, and all public libraries in Delaware offer an annual pass that can be checked out for free by library cardholders.

The Delaware State Parks corporate and group annual pass gives employers and groups a way to promote health and wellness. More employers than ever are utilizing these passes for their staffs and a record number were sold in 2022. This pass provides employees and groups, including athletic teams, with discounted annual passes for statewide park access all season long. It also includes exclusive benefits for end-of-the-year outings and personal discounts for camping or cottage stays.

Annual and two-year surf fishing permits provide year-round drive-on access, including peak weekends and holidays. Off-peak surf fishing permits provide year-round access, excluding peak weekends and holidays from May through Labor Day weekend. Both surf fishing permit decals enable the vehicle to gain entrance into the other state parks without paying the daily entrance fee. A reservation will be required for permitted vehicles to access any of the seven Delaware State Parks multi-use drive-on beaches during peak time periods.

Revenue generated from sales of passes and permits is used to manage 17 state parks, the Brandywine Zoo and more than 26,000 acres of state park lands. Park users generate 65% of the revenue utilized to operate and maintain the parks. The revenue is used for trail maintenance, environmental and recreational programs, visitor amenities, guarded beaches, management of campgrounds, cabins and more.

To purchase an annual pass or surf fishing permit, go to www.destateparks.com/Know/PassesTagsFees.

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, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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Piping plovers – a federally-listed threatened species and state-listed endangered species – experienced modest success in producing fledglings such as the chick shown above at Cape Henlopen State Park with a parent plover. Photo by Shelagh Lynch

Beach-nesting piping plovers – a federally-listed threatened species and a Delaware state-listed endangered species – experienced modest nesting success in Delaware during 2022, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today.

Seven pairs of piping plovers were recorded nesting at The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park and 17 additional nesting pairs were documented at Fowler Beach on Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, making for a total of 24 nesting pairs – the same number recorded in 2021. Piping plovers produced more fledglings in 2022 than in 2021, successfully raising 34 chicks to their flying age (25 days old). Nesting occurred later than normal, and nest and chick loss were high following several spring storms and higher-than-average predation at Fowler Beach.

Delaware documented state-record piping plover nest productivity from 2018 through 2020, but productivity was poor in 2021. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established a goal of 1.5 fledglings per nesting pair in 1996 as part of the piping plover recovery plan, and Delaware exceeded that goal from 2018 through 2020. In 2022, DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife recorded 34 fledglings, for a productivity rate of 1.4 fledglings per nesting pair that was substantially higher than the 0.8 fledglings per nesting pair in 2021.

Delaware’s piping plover recovery efforts involve partnerships between DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife and Division of Parks and Recreation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Services. Partners are working together to better understand the drivers of population change and behavior, such as a new study that investigates piping plover chick and fledgling movement. Trained biologists fit each plover with a unique combination of plastic leg bands allowing individual birds to be identified using a spotting scope or binoculars. More information about piping plovers is available at de.gov/pipingplovers.

In other 2022 beach-nesting bird species updates, two pairs of American oystercatchers nested at The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park. Although this marked the first time in five years that two American oystercatcher nests successfully hatched at Cape Henlopen State Park, the chicks did not fledge due to suspected nest and chick loss from predation. Least tern counts continued to trend lower than prior years, with the only documented nest found at Cape Henlopen State Park failing to hatch.

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 Fish and Wildlife conserves and manages Delaware’s fish and wildlife and their habitats, and provides fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing and boating access on nearly 68,000 acres of public land owned or managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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Having recently completed the Murderkill emergency dredging project which deepened and widened the river channel as depicted above (with marine dredge seen in background), the DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Section now turns to smaller truck-haul beach nourishment projects at Pickering Beach and other Kent County locations. The Shoreline and Waterway Management Section also will work on an upcoming nourishment project in partnership with the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation at Delaware Seashore State Park. DNREC photo.

Pickering Beach in Kent County to Receive Sand Over Next Month,
With Other Bay Beach Communities Set for Sand Reinforcement Ahead

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is set to continue beach nourishment along the Delaware Bay when the DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Section begins a month-long project Monday, Oct. 17 at Pickering Beach in Kent County that will bring some 3,500 cubic yards of sand trucked in from local sources to cover 2,500 feet of community beachfront.

The Pickering Beach nourishment project and others in Delaware Bay communities to be undertaken this year by DNREC are funded in large part by the American Rescue Plan. Funds totaling $1.3M will be used by the Shoreline and Waterway Management Section for deploying small nourishment projects along the Bay beaches to include Pickering Beach, Kitts Hummock, and Cape Shores, in addition to Atlantic Ocean nourishment work at Delaware Seashore State Park’s North Inlet Day Use Area. Work this fall and into winter is expected to lengthen the beach and dune life of a DNREC project that spanned five Bay beach communities and was completed last winter.

“Money from the American Rescue Plan enables us to continue performing these small-scale nourishment efforts both to further fortify some of the more vulnerable sections of Bay beach shoreline and to reinforce the work we’ve recently done in these communities,” said Jesse Hayden, DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Section administrator.

While DNREC’s beach nourishment projects introduce sand into the shoreline system to offset the effects of erosion, the Pickering Beach and Kitts Hummock projects aim more to strengthen – and lengthen – the life of the projects completed last winter in the same communities. “Coastal storms will continue to impact our coast, so having the opportunity to supplement some of the most vulnerable areas even after all of the work we did last year means we will be better prepared for the next storm,” said Hayden.

Because both the Delaware Bay and Atlantic beaches and dunes also provide crucial habitat for migrating shorebirds, including several threatened species, and other wildlife such as spawning horseshoe crabs, DNREC beach nourishment projects ordinarily are not permitted to begin until Oct. 1 each year, and must be completed by April 15 at most beaches, or by March 1 at others. The Bay beach nourishment projects beginning this month are expected to be completed far ahead of those 2023 deadlines.

Delivery of material by DNREC’s sand vendor Pennsy Supply will begin in Pickering Beach on the project start date listed above, while delivery from ML Joseph Sand and Gravel to the Delaware Seashore State Park project site is expected to begin by early November. Construction at Pickering Beach is planned for four weeks, weather-dependent, and with work occurring during DNREC standard business hours Monday through Thursday. The beach will be closed during construction activity but will be open Friday through Sunday for the duration of the project. Visitors should anticipate partial closures of the beach at Delaware Seashore State Park’s North Inlet Day Use Area while heavy equipment is on site during standard business hours Monday through Thursday.

More information about the work of the DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Section can be found at de.gov/shoreline. More information on beach nourishment in Delaware is available from Outdoor Delaware magazine, de.gov/outdoordelaware.

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, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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