Matthew Ritter, Long-time Department Staffer, Appointed to Oversee DNREC Law
Enforcement Arm Environmental Crimes Unit, Other Community Service-Related Offices

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Shawn M. Garvin has announced the appointment of Matthew Ritter as director of the DNREC Division of Community Affairs – a DNREC division that spans community-related government services sections, including the Delaware Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit, the DNREC Public Affairs team, and the Offices of the Community Ombudsman and the Small Business Ombudsman.

Ritter has served 18 years with the Department, most recently as an environmental program administrator for DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation. In his new position, he succeeds Pat Emory, who recently was appointed director of the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife.

“Matt Ritter has the rounded background in natural resources and the environment that we value at DNREC, especially given the breadth of our mission and the diverse focus of our regulatory oversight,” said Secretary Garvin. “During my time with the Department I’ve had many opportunities to work with Matt on a number of high-profile issues and always been impressed by his ability to meet any challenge and see it through.”

After joining DNREC in 2004 as a seasonal parks interpreter, Ritter worked his way up through the state parks system under the Division of Parks and Recreation to positions of operations administrator and administrator of planning, preservation and development. As parks’ operations administrator, he oversaw Natural Resources Police Park Rangers, one of three law enforcement units within DNREC.

As director of the Division of Community Affairs, Ritter will oversee another Delaware Natural Resources Police arm, DNREC’s Environmental Crimes Unit, which enforces the state’s environmental laws and regulations. His new role within the Department also calls for directing DNREC’s Public Affairs team, providing assistance to businesses and communities, and acting as a liaison with the General Assembly.

Ritter was integral in the Division of Parks and Recreation’s capturing two National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) National Gold Medals – with Delaware not only notable as the smallest state park system to win the award, but for having won it twice. He also led the division in receiving accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) – making the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation one of only three state park systems in the nation with CAPRA accreditation. Ritter is a graduate of Frostburg (Md.) State University, having earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries and a master’s degree in education.

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,  Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will host a virtual meeting for the public to review and comment on the White Clay Creek State Park Master Plan proposed final draft from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 2. The proposed final draft and instructions to join the virtual meeting are available at www.destateparks.com/whiteclaymasterplan.

Those interested in commenting during the public meeting must first register by noon, Aug. 2, at www.destateparks.com/whiteclaymasterplan or by calling 302-739-9209. All public comments submitted, both at the meeting or in writing, prior to Tuesday, Aug. 17, will be reviewed before the White Clay Creek State Park Master Plan is finalized.

The purpose of the master plan is to provide a vision and a framework for White Clay Creek State Park for the next 10 years. Attendees are encouraged to review the draft plan online in advance.

Since 2018, the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation held four open houses and conducted an online survey to gather public input and begin the planning process for the master plan. The division encouraged and maintained an open dialogue with park users and individuals interested in the park, held an open house on the preliminary draft master plan in 2019 and welcomed written and electronic comments. More than 1,400 participants provided feedback through the process. All comments received were thoroughly evaluated for inclusion in the plan.

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, Twitter or LinkedIn.

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

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LEWES, Del. – The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will reopen The Point at Cape Henlopen State Park, including a stretch of ocean beach and dunes, and a half-mile along the bay shoreline, Tuesday, Sept. 1. The bayside beach will remain closed until Oct. 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter. 

The area to reopen includes a stretch of ocean beach and dunes that was previously closed on March 1 to benefit more than 30 species of shorebirds, including up to 11 species of terns, six species of gulls, the brown pelican and the double-crested cormorant as well as threatened and endangered species such as red knots, piping plovers, least terns, oystercatchers and others.

DNREC’s Divisions of Parks and Recreation, Fish and Wildlife, and Watershed Stewardship have worked together since 1990 to implement a management plan to halt the decline of beachnester and migratory shorebird populations. The Point has been closed annually since 1993.

For more information, contact Cape Henlopen State Park at 302-645-8983 or stop by the Park Office.

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 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 DNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Shauna McVey, shauna.mcvey@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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WILMINGTON – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation will host a public open house from 5 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, July 23, to review the Brandywine Creek Trail Plan, at the Brandywine Creek State Park Nature Center, 41 Adams Dam Road, Wilmington, DE 19807.

A series of maps will be on display, showing existing and planned trail alignments covering a range of environmental aspects related to existing trails as well as the planned trail system. Also on display will be information related to the Creek Road maintenance concerns. The public is invited to attend to share their thoughts and comments, and ask questions.

For more information on the Brandywine Creek State Park Trail Plan, contact David Bartoo, Division of Parks & Recreation, at 302-739-9235. The trail plan, maps and an online comment form are located at Brandywine Creek Trail Plan. The deadline to submit comments is Saturday, Aug. 31.

Media Contact: Jayme Gravell, Community Relations Coordinator, Delaware State Parks, 302-739-9112

Registration deadline Sept. 15 for state’s 19th BOW event 

DOVER – Registration has been extended until Friday, Sept. 15 for Delaware’s 2017 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program, set for the weekend of Oct. 6-8 at Killens Pond State Park in Harrington. The 2017 event marks the 19th year that Delaware has hosted the program, sponsored by DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife.

BOW offers a variety of 1.5-hour and 3.5-hour courses taught by volunteer instructors who share their expertise and provide instruction in a safe, supportive and non-competitive atmosphere. The cost of participating in the full BOW weekend is $130, which includes meals, lodging, instruction, and use of necessary equipment and supplies. The cost of participating in only Saturday’s BOW courses is $90, including meals, instruction, and use of necessary equipment and supplies.

Participants can choose from a wide range of hands-on courses during each of the sessions. Included are Orienteering 101, Campfire Cooking, Camping 101, Tree I.D., Intro to Canoeing, Daypacking/Hiking, Invasive and Nuisance Plants in Delaware, Cooking Your Catch – How to Process Your Fish, Intro to Shotgun, Intro to Target Archery, Birding 101, Intro to Fly Fishing, Beginning Freshwater Fishing, Prehistoric Storytellers (a course on Delaware’s horseshoe crabs), Native Landscaping for Pollinators, Boating Safety, Waterfowl I.D., Edible and Medicinal Plants, and Wonders of Wetlands.

A specialty course this year at BOW is a mentored crossbow deer hunt. The course involves learning how to safely use a crossbow, participation in a hunter safety course, and taking part in a mentored deer hunt at Killens Pond State Park. Participants in the hunt are required to have a Delaware hunting license and hunter education certification. Each hunter will be partnered with a mentor who will guide them during the managed hunt.

BOW registrations must be received by Friday, Sept. 15, with registration packets available online at de.gov/bow. Please send completed registration forms with payment to: Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife – BOW, 2992 Lighthouse Road, Milford, DE 19963. For more information, contact Lynne Pusey at 302-422-1329 or email: lynne.pusey@delaware.gov.

Scholarships are also available for the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman event through the Delaware Friends of BOW. To apply for a scholarship, candidates should complete the BOW Scholarship Application form. The deadline for applying is Sept. 15. Once completed, scholarship application forms should be sent to Delaware Friends of BOW, 410 Cornish Road, Harrington, DE 19952.

While BOW is aimed primarily at women, it offers an opportunity for anyone 18 or older to learn skills that allow them to participate in numerous outdoor activities. Since the first BOW was held in Wisconsin in 1991, this exciting international program has expanded to 46 states and seven provinces with more than 80 workshops offered each year. The main goal of the BOW program is to provide women the opportunity to learn skills that encourage and enhance participation in outdoor activities, such as hunting, shooting, fishing, boating, and other activities.

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