WILMINGTON – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation has re-opened Alapocas Run State Park in Wilmington, which was closed Dec. 5 due to the sighting of a black bear in the park that has been reportedly moving around northern New Castle County this week.

After the park’s temporary closure, DNREC’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, with the assistance of Delaware State Police’s aviation unit, conducted aerial searches of the Alapocas Run State Park and surrounding areas using infrared radar technology but did not detect the bear. Fish & Wildlife and State Parks Natural Resources Police officers also placed trail cameras overnight and conducted extensive patrols by foot throughout the park without further sightings.

DNREC Natural Resources Police advise that visitors to Alapocas Run State Park should still keep an eye out for the bear and if it is seen, should call Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police’ 24-hour dispatch line at 800-523-3336.

Should you see a black bear, the Division of Fish & Wildlife advises taking the following precautions:

• If a bear is seen:
  • Do not approach, attempt to touch, feed, or shoot at the bear. Back away slowly – give it space. Go inside and wait for the bear to leave. Once inside, please contact Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police at 800-523-3336 to report the sighting.
  • Keep in mind, most bears fear people and will retreat when they see you.
• Eliminate potential food sources that could attract the bear by cleaning or removing anything outdoors that may smell like food. This includes:
  • Locking garbage in a secure trash container, or keeping it inside until the day of pick-up.
  • Rinsing trash containers with ammonia to eliminate food odors.
  • Temporarily discontinuing the use of backyard compost piles.
  • Storing cooking grills inside or keeping them clean of food residue.
  • Temporarily removing birdfeeders ─ there are many wild food sources for birds during this time of year.
• If you have animals, particularly dogs or cats:
  • Keep their food indoors. If animals are fed outdoors, only feed the animal what it will eat in one sitting to ensure that there is no food remaining.
  • Corral livestock close to buildings and use outdoor lighting at night.
  • If you have electric fencing, make sure it’s turned on to protect chicken coops, livestock nursery pens, etc.
  • Promptly dispose of dead farm animals.

Black bear populations within neighboring states of Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania have expanded over the past several decades. As a result, it is not unusual for a bear find its way into Delaware.

Media contact: Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

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“Delawareans deserve clean air,” says Governor John Carney 

WILMINGTON, Del. – Delaware announced today its intent to send four Notice of Intent to Sue letters to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding air pollution that comes into Delaware from other states.

The NOI letters, as required by the federal Clean Air Act, inform the EPA that the Delaware Department of Justice – acting on behalf of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control – will file suit against EPA for its failure to require power plants in Pennsylvania and West Virginia to reduce air pollution that significantly affects the quality of the air that Delawareans breathe.

Delaware has previously petitioned for relief to the EPA.

“The Clean Air Act entitles Delaware to relief from upwind pollution and the remedy we are seeking is reasonable and within EPA’s authority and responsibility to grant,” said Governor John Carney. “Delawareans deserve clean air, but our air quality is significantly impacted by pollution traveling downwind from other states. We are simply asking that the EPA require these power plants that pollute Delaware’s air to run their existing pollution control equipment when the plants are in operation.”

Four petitions filed between July and November 2016 by DNREC under Section 126 of the federal Clean Air Act, sought to have EPA require certain power plant units in upwind states to use their air pollution controls to reduce emissions.

The lawsuits will contend that EPA’s approval of the petitions is critical to protecting the health of Delawareans and helping contain the state’s rising healthcare costs from treating respiratory and lung diseases. EPA approval is also important to Delaware’s economy because fewer health-related absences from the workforce results in an increase in productivity.

Ground-level ozone, or smog, has been one of Delaware’s most pervasive and challenging air pollution problems. More than 90 percent of the ozone in Delaware originates from emissions in upwind states.

The filing of the Section 126 petitions, as well as the related Notice of Intent to Sue letters, comes after decades of efforts by DNREC to influence reduction of air pollution transported into Delaware from upwind states.

Though Delaware has made dramatic progress on improving air quality in recent years, emissions from out-of-state power plants continue to prevent Delaware from attaining and maintaining federal health-based air quality standards.

“The Department has pursued – and will continue to pursue – voluntary and collaborative efforts with partner states to ensure upwind power plants meet the same stringent standards which Delaware is required to meet,” said Shawn Garvin, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. “It is now time for EPA to hold upwind sources accountable for ozone emissions that are impacting downwind states.”

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Related news:
Governor Carney, Congressional Delegation Oppose Trump Administration on Clean Air Ruling

SLAUGHTER BEACH – The DuPont Nature Center at Mispillion Harbor Reserve, a DNREC Division of Fish & Wildlife facility located in the heart of Delaware’s Bayshore Region, will host two programs Sept. 2 and 6 highlighting World Shorebirds Day, which takes place annually in September to celebrate shorebirds around the globe.

Each year on Sept. 6, World Shorebirds Day seeks to highlight the need to protect shorebirds and their habitats, raise public awareness about continued shorebird research, monitoring and conservation, and connect people with shorebirds through wetland sites around the world. DuPont Nature Center programs connecting Delaware to World Shorebirds Day are:  

• Mispillion Harbor Shorebirds Presentation and Birding Trip, 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 2. Join DuPont Nature Center educators for a presentation about the most common shorebirds that visit Mispillion Harbor and the importance of the harbor to the success of their migration. Nature Center staff will also unveil a new shorebird exhibit with carvings by local artist Harold VanDyk, whose work offers a unique portrayal of species that visit Delaware. After the carvings are unveiled, DNREC biologists will lead a shorebird trip that begins at the DuPont Nature Center and ends at Slaughter Beach. The birding trip will focus on the shorebirds currently visiting Mispillion Harbor and surrounding area.

• Delaware Shorebirds Today, 1-2 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 6. Join DNREC Shorebird Biologist Audrey DeRose-Wilson for a presentation about the shorebirds that visit Delaware each year, identifying these species, their status, and the research conducted by the Division of Fish & Wildlife to monitor and protect these important migratory birds.   

The DuPont Nature Center is located at 2992 Lighthouse Road, near Slaughter Beach, east of Milford. Hours of operation through the end of August are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays. For the month of September, hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays only. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information about the center, call 302-422-1329 or visit DuPont Nature Center.

Contact: Lynne Pusey, DNREC DuPont Nature Center coordinator, 302-422-1329, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

Reminder for the week: Purchase your 2017/2018 Delaware hunting license, waterfowl stamps now

DOVER  – 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, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Aug. 14-20 made 3,012 contacts with anglers, boaters and the general public, including 457 vessel boardings for boating safety and fishing regulation compliance checks, issuing 52 citations. Officers responded to 83 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public. An increased Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence continued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and Michael N. Castle Trail.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police in the Community

• On Aug. 19, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers discussed boating safety, search and rescue, and hunting and fishing enforcement during Middletown’s annual Peach Festival. Officers displayed the Operation Game Theft Trailer, which was very popular.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Incidents of note:

• On Aug. 18, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers responded to a medical emergency on board a recreational fishing vessel in the Atlantic Ocean eight miles east of the Indian River Inlet. The victim was suffering from heat stroke and was transferred to the Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police patrol vessel for transportation to the US Coast Guard Station where they were evaluated by the Rehoboth Beach Fire Company.

• On Aug. 20, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers responded to an overturned PWC in the Indian River Inlet. The operator was able to self-rescue by swimming to shore after he lost control in rough water causing his PWC to overturn and stall. The operator refused treatment and only minor damage was caused to the PWC.

Citations issued by category, with the number of charges in parentheses, included:

Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Unlicensed fishing (2)*, possession of undersized summer flounder (10), possession of summer flounder parts (3), possession of undersized hard clams (1), possession of over the limit hard clams (1), possession of undersized blue crabs (2), tend the recreational crab pot of another (1), and fishing in a closed area of a state wildlife area (2)*. Commercial: Possession of undersized blue crabs (2).

Boating and Boating Safety: Operating a vessel with insufficient number of life jackets (2), no life jacket on a child age 12 or younger as required by law (6), failure to observe slow no wake zone (2), equipment violation- no navigation lights (1), equipment violation-no sound producing device (1), operating an unregistered vessel (2), no tidal boat ramp certificate (1), and no boating safety certificate (6).

Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (7)*.

*Includes citation(s) issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & 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, wildlife and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at http://de.gov/ogt.

Are you AWARE?

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind hunters to purchase their 2017/2018 Delaware hunting licenses and waterfowl stamps. A resident annual hunting license costs $39.50 for ages 16 through 64. A resident junior hunting license costs $5 for ages 13 through 15.

Residents younger than 13 or those 65 and older who have resided in Delaware for one year or longer are not required to purchase a Delaware hunting license; residents younger than 16 or those 65 and older are not required to purchase a Delaware waterfowl stamp. Higher license prices apply to non-resident hunters, and no exemptions are made for non-residents age 65 and older on purchasing a hunting license or waterfowl stamp.

To hunt waterfowl in Delaware, residents age 16 through 64 who have lived in the state for one year or longer are required to purchase a Delaware waterfowl stamp and a federal migratory bird hunting stamp. Federal duck stamps may be purchased at U.S. Post Offices, Bombay Hook and Prime Hook national wildlife refuges and online at www.fws.gov/duckstamps. For more information, call 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724).

Hunters who are exempt from purchasing a license must obtain an annual, free License Exempt Number (LEN). Both exempt and non-exempt hunters of migratory gamebirds, including waterfowl, dove, woodcock and rail, also must obtain a free Federal Harvest Information Program (HIP) number. Both are available online or by calling 855-335-4868 toll-free.

If hunting waterfowl or deer on a state wildlife area from a blind or deer stand that was selected through a lottery, all hunters in the blind or stand are required to carry their $20 annual lottery permit. This permit is waived for hunters participating in Division of Fish & Wildlife-designated youth hunting days.

Effective July 1, 2017, a Conservation Access Pass is required for any registered motor vehicle used to access designated Delaware State Wildlife Areas for any allowable activity, including hunting, birdwatching, hiking and photography. For more information, click Conservation Access Pass.

Delaware hunting licenses, lottery permits and waterfowl stamps are sold online, at the licensing office in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, and by license agents statewide. To find a participating hunting license agent, to purchase a license or lottery permit or to obtain a HIP or LEN number online, click Delaware Licenses and Permits. For additional information on Delaware hunting licenses, call 302-739-9918.

For more information on hunting in Delaware, click 2017-2018 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. The guide also is available in printed form at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk, and from license agents throughout the state.

For more information on individual wildlife areas, including the rules and regulations specific to each area, visitors are encouraged to give close attention to Delaware wildlife area maps published by the Division of Fish & Wildlife. The maps are available in hard copy at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901, and also can be found online at Wildlife Area Maps and Regulations.

Media Contact: Lt. John McDerby, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913 or 302-354-1386

WILMINGTON –DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation and the Wilmington Area Rotary Club’s Community Fund will host a 10th anniversary celebration of the Can-Do Playground in Alapocas Run State Park from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, July 15. The celebration, open to the public, will feature family-friendly activities, including a “Nature on the Go” cart and the Brandywine Traveling Zoo, along with free giveaways for the first 200 guests.

The festivities are also designed to unveil plans to the public for the Can-Do Playground’s nature-themed expansion. The state’s first barrier-free public playground, the Can-Do Playground promotes cooperative play between children with and without disabilities, and engages them in a wide range of activities essential to their social, emotional, cognitive and physical development.

The Can-Do Playground’s expansion, scheduled to be begin in September, will:

• Add additional pieces of nature-themed interpretive equipment aimed at improving the play experience of children with intellectual disabilities and those with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder;
• Enhance the parent-child bonding experience with “expression swings,” configured with a face-to-face design;
• Replace play components worn by weather and use with panels that add auditory, tactile, and visual experiences throughout the playground;
• Optimize the rubberized surface to ensure ease of access for children with mobility disabilities; and

• Add an accessible area for picnic tables and ground level music activities.

For the past decade, Rotary has remained actively involved in stewardship of the playground and will now fundraise for the expansion with its principal partner, DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation. With grant awards from the Longwood and Welfare Foundations and the opportunity for the project to be showcased on the National Recreation and Parks Association crowdfunding platform, the club hopes to reach its $245,000 goal for the expansion.

Vol. 47, No. 159

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