NEWARK – The Delaware Department of Natural Resources (DNREC) is pleased to announce Laura Lee as the new superintendent of White Clay Creek State Park (WCCSP). Laura was previously superintendent of Auburn Valley State Park, which she helped develop since it was dedicated as the newest state park in 2018.

Laura started her State Parks career in 1991 at Fort Delaware, where she worked as both a seasonal interpreter and a cultural resources assistant. She then served as director of the Iron Hill Museum from 1995 to 2008, before returning to the DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation as the interpretive program manager at Fort Delaware and then moving on to Auburn Valley State Park.

Also, DNREC recently added 32 acres to WCCSP along the Route 896 side of the park; the acreage is comprised of mature forest, meadow and agricultural lands near the Krantz Hill Farm and will protect important wildlife habitats. The newly acquired land was funded with approximately $2.6 million from the Delaware Open Space Program (OSP) making it the largest land acquisition for the state park since 2003.

The Delaware Open Space Council recommended this land for acquisition in its June 2019 meeting. Since 1988, the OSP has provided nearly $62 million to add 2,210.7 acres to WCCSP through open space preservation.

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Yorklyn – DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation announced today that it has acquired 86 acres of land in Yorklyn to expand the recently-created Auburn Valley State Park. The preservation of the two parcels, each about 43 acres in size, will enable future expansion of recreational activities at the 452-acre park. The new land acquisition by DNREC will also benefit the Red Clay Creek watershed by protecting important headwaters and lands along a tributary to the creek.

DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation acquired the property from the children of the Nancy Reynolds Cooch family. The sale was made possible through a donation from The Nature Conservancy in Delaware and grant funding through Mt. Cuba Center, both ensuring that the land becoming part of park will be preserved in its undeveloped state. The rest of the funds were provided by the Delaware Open Space Program, and secured by DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation.

The Open Space Program was created by the Land Protection Act in 1990, with the goal of protecting land for recreation, wildlife habitat, state forests, and lands of historical and cultural importance. Governor John Carney’s 2019 budget provided $10 million in funding for the program, which has protected more than 62,000 acres of land since its inception.

“These new properties will be a wonderful addition to the Auburn Valley State Park,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “With the land now permanently protected by DNREC, the environmentally-sensitive Red Clay Creek watershed will also benefit. I thank our conservation partner, The Nature Conservancy in Delaware; the Reynolds Cooch family; and Mt. Cuba Center; whose support made this purchase a reality.”

“The Nature Conservancy in Delaware is honored and humbled to join Mt. Cuba Center and assist DNREC in adding the Reynolds Cooch properties to the Auburn Valley State Park complex,” said Richard Jones, executive director of The Nature Conservancy in Delaware. “Given the conservation legacy established over many years by the Reynolds and Cooch families, it is particularly gratifying to know that this important land will remain protected in perpetuity.”

The new parcels of undeveloped lands comprise a mix of hardwood forest and grasslands, and also include a stream that eventually flows into the Red Clay Creek, an important source of drinking water for New Castle County. One of the new parcels shares a border with the 121-acre Oversee Farm, another part of Auburn Valley State Park acquired with assistance from the Nature Conservancy in Delaware. Protecting an additional 86 acres provides a wildlife migration corridor through privately and publicly owned lands that extend well into Pennsylvania.

YORKLYN – Governor John Carney and DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin were joined by U.S. Senator Tom Carper, state legislators, New Castle County and local officials, neighbors, and friends, at the dedication and ribbon-cutting of Delaware’s newest and 17th state park, the Auburn Valley State Park in Yorklyn.

Formerly the Auburn Heights Preserve, the park features an 1897 Queen Anne Victorian mansion and the Marshall Steam Museum, home to the largest operating Stanley steam car collection in the world. This four-acre estate was donated by Tom and Ruth Marshall, whose family established and operated the National Vulcanized Fiber (NVF) factory next to the estate. Marshall donated the mansion and steam car museum to the state in 2007. Part of that agreement included establishing an endowment for property upkeep. A historic bridge in the park is now named after the Marshall family.

“The new Auburn Valley State Park will be an economic engine to draw residents and visitors alike to Yorklyn, helping boost the state’s $3.3 billion dollar tourist industry,” said Governor Carney. “We must invest in our state parks to provide Delaware’s residents and visitors with safe and enjoyable recreational opportunities and open spaces, responsible stewardship of the lands and the cultural and natural resources that we have been entrusted to protect and manage, and resource-based interpretive and educational services.”

“Auburn Valley State Park promotes environmental stewardship and ensures that Delawareans will be able to enjoy acres of preserved land for years to come,” said Senator Carper, the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “This park – and the 16 other parks like it in the First State – are also economic drivers that bolster our tourism sector and encourage people from coast to coast enjoy all that Delaware has to offer – from our unique history to our pristine outdoor spaces. Our efforts to work together to protect and maintain these lands are a win for Delaware.”

“DNREC owns more than 360 acres of this valley with beautiful vistas, established trails, newly-cleaned flowing creeks with aquatic life, additional preserved lands and soon-to-be restored historic buildings, home of the Marshall Steam Museum, and all being served by the historic Wilmington and Western Railroad,” said Secretary Garvin. “Auburn Valley State Park will help transform Yorklyn into a residential, commercial, conservation and recreational area, while also removing a century of contamination. We thank Tom and Ruth Marshall and their family for their generous donation of their estate as well, and this new park will ensure their legacy endures in perpetuity.”

The new park features a total of 366 acres, including portions of the former NVF facility acquired through funding by the Delaware Open Space Program, FEMA, and private donations. The land has undergone site remediation – including toxics removal and flood mitigation – along with the building and completion of new trails. Plans are ongoing for continued redevelopment designed to turn the area into a revitalized, vibrant hub of activity that retains its historic character and provides the kinds of amenities that will help improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.

For more information, visit www.destateparks.com/AuburnValley

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

DOVER – Due to weather predictions, DNREC’s Division of Parks & Recreation announced today it will postpone the public open house scheduled for March 21 to review the Cape Henlopen State Park Trail Concept Plan. The open house will be re-scheduled at a later date.

Added features, updated rules and details on wildlife area facilities now included

DOVER – New state wildlife area maps with updated regulations and details for accessing the facilities at each area are now available for the 2016/2017 season, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today. The maps and area-specific regulations are online at Delaware Wildlife Area Maps. Hunters and other wildlife area users should note that the maps have undergone a major revision this year and some area regulations such as hunting seasons and open days may have changed from past years.

“Over the past several years, many area-specific regulations have been added or modified, sometimes making the old maps difficult for hunters and other wildlife area users to understand due to differences between the maps and area rules. This year, we took an in-depth look at standardizing our wildlife area rules statewide,” said Craig Rhoads, program manager for the Division of Fish & Wildlife, Habitat Conservation and Management. “These changes make it easier for hunters and other wildlife area visitors to keep track of open hunting seasons, allowable activities and facilities available at different state wildlife areas. We strongly encourage all wildlife area users to read the new map regulations for each area they plan to visit to ensure they are following the most current regulations.”

Several areas have revised rules. “We’ve looked at properties statewide and evaluated where we could increase hunting opportunities,” Rhoads said. “For example, several areas are now open to expanded waterfowl hunting opportunities, and rules pertaining to temporary deer stands on non-lottery areas have been relaxed.”

For complete information on the 2016/2017 hunting seasons – including hunter education, licensing, hunting and trapping seasons, limits, regulations, wildlife area information and more, with sections devoted to deer, small game, turkey and migratory birds – click 2016-2017 Delaware Hunting and Trapping Guide. Guides also are available from license agents throughout the state.

Paper copies of the maps – printed in color for the first time – are available at DNREC’s Dover licensing desk in the Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901. Licensing desk customers may take up to five printed maps of individual wildlife areas free of charge. A complete set of statewide maps costs $5 to purchase at the licensing desk, or $6 by mail.

For more information, please call DNREC’s licensing desk at 302-739-9918 or the Wildlife Section office at 302-739-9912.

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

Vol. 46, No. 335