DOVER – Nominations are being accepted by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control through March 23 for individuals interested in serving on the Coastal Zone Conversion Permit Act Regulatory Advisory Committee (RAC). The committee will comprise 15 to 21 members, representing different stakeholder interests and areas of technical expertise related to Delaware’s Coastal Zone.

The Coastal Zone Conversion Permit Act was passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor John Carney in August 2017. The Act authorizes the permitted use of 14 existing industrial sites in Delaware’s Coastal Zone for new heavy industry, construction, operation, and – in certain approved cases – bulk product transfer. The Act requires DNREC to develop and promulgate regulations for issuance of conversion permits by Oct. 1, 2019. The RAC will provide guidance and feedback to DNREC on the development of these regulations.

The committee structure was determined by using extensive public feedback collected from stakeholder interviews, public workshops, and verbal and written public comments.

“Delaware’s Coastal Zone is important to and valued by Delawareans in many different ways,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin. “We want people from all communities, organizations, and interests to feel that their voices are being heard in this process, and we encourage individuals to nominate themselves or others to become part of this committee.”

A nomination form and a conflict-of-interest disclosure form are required for each nominee. Forms can be found on DNREC’s alpha website, or can be obtained by contacting the DNREC’s Division of Energy & Climate at 302-735-3480, or by emailing CZA_Conversion_Permits@delaware.gov. Coastal Zone Conversion Permit RAC nominations should be sent by US Mail to DNREC Division of Energy & Climate, Attn: Susan Love, 100 West Water Street, Suite 5A, Dover, DE 19904 or by email to CZA_Conversion_Permits@delaware.gov. For more information, please visit de.gov/conversionpermits.

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

Vol. 48, No. 53

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DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife is asking the public to assist with the state’s 8th annual wild turkey survey by helping identify locations where the birds are successfully reproducing in Delaware. The data collected helps biologists track the health, distribution and reproductive success of the state’s wild turkey population and ensure the sustainable harvest of this important game species.

The survey period begins July 1 and continues through Aug. 31. If you see a turkey, you are asked to record the date, county, and number of adult hens, gobblers, and poults (young of the year) observed on a survey data sheet. The data sheet and instructions are available for download at Wild Turkey Survey. Participants are asked to submit their results to the Division of Fish & Wildlife by Sept. 10, 2017.

The wild turkey continues as one of Delaware’s top wildlife restoration successes after nearly becoming extinct by the early 20th century. In the early 1980s, the Division of Fish & Wildlife partnered with the National Wild Turkey Federation and other northeastern states to re-establish a wild turkey population in the state. By 1991, the population had grown large enough to enable a wild turkey hunting season, and the birds continue to thrive and multiply.

For more information about the wild turkey survey or to obtain a survey data sheet, please contact Justyn Foth, Wildlife Section, at 302-735-3600, or visit http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Hunting/Documents/Wild%20Turkey%20Observation%20Survey%20Form.pdf.

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

Vol. 47, No. 156

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The Office of Governor Jack Markell has released a master list of public hearings to gather input on state agency regulations under Executive Order No. 36. Hearings are scheduled in August for five agencies, in all three counties.

Public Notice
Review of Agency Regulations
Executive Order No. 36
Jack A. Markell, Governor

On June 14, 2012, Governor Jack Markell signed Executive Order No. 36, which establishes a process for the review of certain regulations by state agencies. The Order requires agencies to solicit input from the public to identify regulations adopted three years ago or more for possible modification or elimination.

Do you have specific ideas about which regulations that should be modified or eliminated? If so, we want to hear from you.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the agencies listed below are now accepting public comments in connection with Executive Order No. 36. Other state agencies will begin accepting comments in late 2012 and early 2013.

For the agencies below, public hearings will be held in Sussex County at the University of Delaware’s Carvel Research & Education Center, 16483 County Seat Hwy., Georgetown, DE 19947 as follows:

For the agencies below, public hearings will be held in Kent County at the Delaware Department of Agriculture, 2320 South DuPont Hwy., Dover, DE 19901 as follows:

For the agencies below, public hearings will be held in New Castle County at the James Gilliam Conference Center, 77 Reads Way, New Castle DE 19720 as follows:

NEW CASTLE  – The Delaware Health and Social Services’ Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities will seek public comment on its proposed State Plan on Aging covering October 2012 through September 2015.

The state plan has been developed to meet requirements under Title III and Title VII of the Older Americans Act. The titles provide funding for a variety of programs and services for older Delawareans and their caregivers including supportive services; nutrition programs; disease prevention and health promotion initiatives; elder rights protection activities; and caregiver support programs.

A copy of the draft plan may be obtained by following the links on the division’s website at:
http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dsaapd/index.html

The state also has scheduled three hearings, one in each county, to provide an opportunity for the public to offer comments and suggestions on the plan. The schedule is:

April 24: 1-3 p.m., Easter Seals Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore, 61 Corporate Circle, New Castle.

April 25: 1-3 p.m., Modern Maturity Center, East Wing Conference Room, 1121 Forrest Ave., Dover.

April 26: 10 a.m.-noon, CHEER Community Center, 20520 Sand Hill Road, Georgetown.

The older population in Delaware, as in the rest of the nation, is growing quickly. Currently, about one in five Delawareans is 60 or older. By 2020, that age group will make up one-fourth of the state’s population, or more than 250,000 people. That same year, the population consisting of the “oldest old” (age 85 and older) is projected to have grown by 147.5 percent since 2000.

“As Delaware’s aging population grows, so will the demand for vital state services,” Gov. Jack Markell said. “It is important to have the input of as many Delawareans as possible so we tailor these services to meet the needs of our seniors.”

The Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities will use the strategies in the State Plan on Aging to address the growing and changing needs of older Delawareans and persons with disabilities.

“Consistently, AARP studies show that 90 percent of individuals 65 and older want to age in their own homes,” DHSS Secretary Rita Landgraf said. “In Delaware, we must support this growing population by improving their ability to access important services. Supporting the expansion of home- and community-based services will allow seniors and adults with disabilities to achieve a high quality of life, while also keeping them fully engaged in their communities.”

The 2012-2015 State Plan on Aging focuses on such initiatives as:

• Sustaining the Delaware Aging & Disability Resource Center and increasing its reach. The ADRC — www.delawareadrc.com or 800-223-9074 — is a clearinghouse for information to help people navigate the choices and decisions they face for themselves or family members.
• Addressing support issues of certain target populations including individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Today, an estimate 26,000 Delawareans are living with Alzheimer’s or a related disorder, and the numbers are expected to increase dramatically as baby boomers age.
• Reaching out to caregivers who provide most of the long-term care services in the country to more effectively identify their support needs.
• Promoting telehealth, a service delivery technology that will allow older Delawareans and individuals with disabilities to receive some medical care at home or in other more convenient setting, rather than traveling to their provider’s office.
• Changing the service delivery system to ensure greater consumer direction of services, including an expanded and improved attendant services program and other programs.
• Supporting the expansion of home and community-based services, including ADRC staff members who provide personalized assistance to help families find and use community services.

For more information about the plan and the public hearings, go to http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dsaapd/index.html
or contact Denise Weeks-Tappan, planning supervisor in the Division of Services for Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities, at (302) 255-9360.

WILMINGTON – Lt. Governor Matt Denn and Attorney General Beau Biden announced a plan today to put in place an effective statewide policy to combat cyberbullying in Delaware’s schools.  The plan includes statewide public hearings to gather information to be used in developing the cyberbullying policy, and legislation designed to help school districts enforce the new policy.

The Lt. Governor and Attorney General’s plan consists of four steps:

1. Statewide public hearings in April to gather factual evidence from school administrators and parents about the type of off-campus activity causing disruption in our schools.
2. The drafting of a statewide cyberbullying policy based upon the evidence gathered at the hearings.
3. Issuance of a regulation by the state’s Department of Education requiring adoption of the statewide cyberbullying policy by public school districts and charter schools.
4. A new state law that will allow the Attorney General’s office to defend school districts and charter schools if their good faith enforcement of the statewide cyberbullying policy is subject to legal challenge.

“We need to fight cyberbullying aggressively but also thoughtfully,” said Lt. Governor Denn.  “Around the country, schools have been sued when trying to enforce cyberbullying policies – and even here in Delaware, the one school district that attempted to implement a cyberbullying policy was threatened with litigation.  This approach, where we gather the facts first, write a policy based on those facts, and then stand behind the policy with the full force of our Attorney General’s office, will give us the best chance to deal with this growing problem.”

“Thanks to constant communication and social networking, there is no such thing as a ‘schoolyard bully’ anymore,” saidAttorney General Biden. “Kids who face bullies face them all the time – at home, at school, and everywhere in between. For schools to be the safe places that children deserve, they must be able to effectively fight bullying that may originate off school grounds, but follows its victims 24 hours a day.”

The legislation necessary for implementation of this plan will be introduced in the Senate this week by Senator David Sokola, and will be sponsored in the House of Representatives by Representative Terry Schooley.  Senator Sokola and Representative Schooley are the chairs of their chambers’ respective education committees, and the prime sponsors of companion legislation they introduced with the Lt. Governor and Attorney General earlier this month addressing the reporting of bullying incidents.

“A lot of the kinds of controls that have worked in other media haven’t been as effective in the on-line world because of instantaneous and permanent nature but we know some things have worked,” said Sen. David Sokola, D-Newark, the bill’s leading sponsor. “And we can’t give up; we need to look at what’s being done to successfully curb cyberbullying elsewhere and use it here.”

“In this age of technology, young people use many different forms of social media, computers and cell phones to communicate and publicly post information,” said Rep. Terry Schooley, D-Newark. “Unfortunately, these means of communication can be used to bully other young people in a more public way than previous generations could ever imagine. By introducing this legislation, we are trying to stay ahead of the curve and protect our children and grandchildren from cyber-bullying and let people know that bullying in any form is wrong and should not be tolerated.”

Hearing dates, times, and locations for the statewide public hearings follow. They are open to the public, with school administrators being asked to testify first to share firsthand experiences. Written input is also welcome and may be emailed to emily.cunningham@delaware.gov.

New Castle County
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
10:30am – 12:30pm
Carvel State Office Building – auditorium
820 N. French Street
Wilmington

Sussex County
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
5:00pm – 7:00pm
Sussex County Administrative Building
2 The Circle
Georgetown

Kent County
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
11:30am – 1:30pm
Kent County Levy Court Chamber
555 Bay Road
Dover