DNREC exploring temporary seating options

WILMINGTON – The south bleachers at Wilmington’s Baynard Stadium have been condemned and closed effective immediately after the bleachers were found to be at the end of their useful lifespan and labeled a potential public safety hazard by a structural engineering assessment. Bleachers on the north and south sides of the stadium, which is managed by DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation, were evaluated five years ago and repaired according to professional structural engineering recommendations, with a reevaluation to be done this year for structural soundness.

Century Engineering, which conducted the most recent evaluation, informed the Division of Parks & Recreation that the stadium’s south bleachers could pose a public safety hazard in their current condition. The stadium’s north bleachers continue to be used for spectating at sporting events and gatherings, but need to be modified to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act, according to Cindy Todd, DNREC construction project administrator.

Having closed the south bleachers until further notice, the Division of Parks & Recreation is now looking at possible options for temporary bleachers at Baynard Stadium while plans, designs and funding are secured over the few next years for renovation and upgrades.

Media Contacts: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902; or Susan Staats 302-577-1164 or Cindy Todd, 302-739-9210, DNREC Division of Parks & Recreation

Vol. 46, No. 198

DOVER – With Governor Jack Markell having proclaimed Sunday, June 5 as “Delaware State Parks Day,” DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation reminds Delawareans and visitors alike that admission is free that day to most parks comprising the Delaware State Parks system, which garnered the 2016 Gold Medal Award as the nation’s best-managed parks system. Free parks admission is also made possible through sponsorship from the Delaware Tourism Office’s “Visit Delaware”.

“Tourism in Delaware contributes $3 billion to our economy annually – and having the best state parks in the country is key to our success,” said Gov. Markell said in making his “Delaware State Parks Day” announcement. “Delaware attracts multitudes of out-of-state – and in-state – visitors who come to enjoy scenic and recreational destinations like the Junction & Breakwater Trail at Cape Henlopen for biking, Delaware Seashore State Park and the Indian River Marina for surf-fishing and boating, Lums Pond for zip-lining, along with many other great outdoors and cultural experiences. I encourage Delawareans and visitors to our state alike to take advantage of the wonderful opportunity on June 5 to enjoy all our parks have to offer.”

“With Delaware State Parks is celebrating their 65th anniversary this year and also the National Gold Medal Award from the National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) as the best-managed parks system in the country, the free admission on Delaware State Parks Day June 5 is a great opportunity for folks to experience our great state parks and to see for themselves why Delaware’s parks system was chosen No. 1 nationally,” said DNREC Secretary David Small.

“The state parks system is a scenic and exciting way for visitors to discover what makes Delaware special,” said Delaware Tourism Director Linda Parkowski. “The state drew a record eight million visitors in 2014 thanks in large part to Delaware’s five-star beaches, which include beaches at three state parks. Visit Delaware’s continued partnership with Delaware State Parks, through programs like the Delaware Outdoor Trail, keeps that tourism momentum going.”

DNREC Division of Parks & Recreation/Delaware State Parks Director Ray Bivens said that June 5 is a date doubly important to anyone planning to take advantage of free admission for state parks and who might also want to fish for free and without needing a fishing license – as June 4 and 5 comprise the “Fish for Free” weekend in Delaware, sponsored by DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife, and includes freshwater angling opportunities within many state parks.

More information on Delaware State Parks’ 65th anniversary celebration and the “Free Day in the Park” presented by the Delaware Tourism Office’s “Visit Delaware” can be found at www.destateparks.com/65years. For more on “Visit Delaware”, including lists of things to do in Delaware and ways to plan your next trip, please go to www.VisitDelaware.com.

Media Contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 203

LEWES – The first piping plover nest of the season has hatched a full clutch of four chicks on the Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today.

Three more piping plover pairs are incubating nests on the Point in Cape Henlopen State Park, with two of the nests due to hatch anytime now, DNREC biologist Matthew Bailey said. A pair of piping plovers at Gordons Pond are continuing preparations for nesting.

For more information about beachnesting birds and monitoring efforts, please contact Matthew Bailey at 302-382-4151 or email matthew.bailey@delaware.gov.

About the piping plover
The piping plover was listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1986, and the Division of Fish and Wildlife is responsible for its protection in Delaware. Under a binding agreement and species management plan that DNREC made in 1990 with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) – the federal agency with oversight of this ESA-protected species – piping plover nesting areas at Cape Henlopen State Park are closed annually to the public to protect the shorebirds from disturbance during their nesting season from March into September. The closure, which includes the Point and smaller areas around Gordon’s Pond and with both feeding habitat and nesting areas protected, has been successful, increasing the number of piping plover nesting pairs from a low of two pairs to a high of nine pairs. Piping plovers feed on small invertebrates that inhabit the intertidal zone near their nesting territories. Chicks are not fed by their parents, but rather are led to the shoreline to forage while the adults keep watch for potential threats. Allowing pedestrian traffic in the intertidal zone adjoining nesting areas would disturb the vital link between nesting and foraging habitat, and risks adverse stress or mortality to the chicks.

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

Vol. 46, No. 199

DOVER – Been thinking about casting a line into a nearby pond or daydreaming of a sunny afternoon at the beach with your surf rod, but just haven’t gotten around to purchasing your 2016 Delaware fishing license? DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife has an opportunity for you.

To celebrate National Fishing and Boating Week, June 4-12, the Division of Fish & Wildlife invites you to try your luck fishing, crabbing and clamming by offering free fishing days on Saturday and Sunday, June 4 and 5. On these two days, anyone, out-of-staters included, may fish the state’s waters without a fishing license.

Anglers are reminded that even though they don’t need a license to fish on June 4 or 5, they are still required to obtain a free Fisherman Identification Network (F.I.N.) number. A F.I.N. number can be obtained online at www.delaware-fin.com or by calling 800-432-9228. Anglers also are required to comply with Delaware’s fishing regulations, including size and daily catch limits.

National Fishing and Boating Week festivities will also include the Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police’s 30th Annual Youth Fishing Tournament from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 4. The event will take place at a pond in each county: Ingrams Pond near Millsboro, Wyoming Pond in Wyoming and the dog training area at Lums Pond State Park near Bear. Participants are asked to arrive before 10 a.m. to register for the tournament.

With the exception of Delaware’s annual free fishing weekend, resident and non-resident anglers from the ages of 16 through 64 who fish, crab or clam in any Delaware waters – including ponds, impoundments, streams, rivers, bays and ocean – are required to purchase a fishing license. Delaware residents 65 or older and both residents and non-residents under age 16 are not required to purchase a license, although exempt persons may purchase fishing licenses if they so choose to help support fisheries management. Licenses are required for non-residents age 65 and older.

Delaware fishing licenses cost $8.50 for residents, while non-residents pay $20 a year or $12.50 for a seven-day license. Fishing licenses are sold online, at the licensing desk in DNREC’s Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901 and by license agents statewide. To find a participating agent, or to purchase a license online, visit Delaware Licenses. For additional information on Delaware fishing licenses, call 302-739-9918.

For more fishing information, click on 2016 Delaware Fishing Guide. The guide also is available in printed form at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk, and from license agents throughout the state.

The Youth Fishing Tournament is part of Delaware’s Children in Nature Initiative, a statewide effort to improve environmental literacy in Delaware, create opportunities for children to participate in enriching outdoor experiences, combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles. Delaware’s multi-agency initiative, which partners state and federal agencies with community organizations, is part of the national No Child Left Inside program.

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

Vol. 46, No. 197

DOVER – The Thompson’s Bridge entrance to Brandywine Creek State Park will be closed from Monday evening, May 30, through Friday, June 3, for a parking lot and trail paving project. The parking area and the western section of the park’s Rocky Run Trail, extending to the new Rocky Run Bridge, will also be closed during this time – as the paving culminates in the completion of the Rocky Run Bridge replacement project which began in late 2014.

Since the paving includes both the trail and the parking lot, the area will be closed to both vehicular and foot traffic for four days before reopening Saturday, June 4. Meanwhile, the Rockland trailhead, parking lot and trail on the east side of the Rocky Run Bridge will remain open for park users.

The new parking lot will have 30 lined spaces to alleviate parking confusion in the currently unlined lot, while the paved extension of the trail will allow users with disabilities access to the Rocky Run Bridge to view the confluence of the two creeks.

The Rocky Run Bridge was replaced in 2015 after damage from several storms eroded abutments of the old bridge and rendered it unsafe for passage.

Media Contacts: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902; or Cindy Todd, 302-739-9210, or Shawn Heacock 302-577-3534, DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation

Vol. 46, No. 196