DNREC and Partners Earn Award for Living Shoreline Project

Delaware’s Sassafras Landing living shoreline, a joint project of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, has been recognized as one of the 2021 Best Restored Shores by the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA).

A method of shoreline stabilization and protection for wetlands, living shorelines absorb storm energy, build habitat and protect property while reducing the potential for shoreline erosion issues. They also filter pollutants to improve water quality.

ASBPA cited the project, located on DNREC’s Assawoman Wildlife Area in Frankford, as one that successfully improved the area’s resiliency to sea level rise by increasing protection to the “35-Acre Pond,” an impoundment on the wildlife area, restoring surrounding salt marsh, and reducing nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus in the adjacent Miller Creek.

“We are pleased to receive this prestigious honor from the ASBPA,” said DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship Environmental Scientist Alison Rogerson. “We determined the best approach was to use the environmental-friendly living shoreline technique when we began the project in 2018. Working together with CIB, we created a living shoreline that has increased the pond’s ability to adapt to rising sea levels, reduce pollution and create habitat.”

The project was completed in June 2019, with help from two dozen volunteers who planted 5,200 plugs of native marsh grass. Since then, the marsh grass has thrived and successfully weathered several coastal storms. The plants have thickened, wildlife have been spotted using the new habitat and the freshwater “35-Acre Pond” is protected from a breach by salt water.

“The living shoreline at Sassafras Landing will serve as one of the Center for the Inland Bays’ living shoreline demonstration sites,” said Chris Bason, CIB executive director. “These projects showcase a variety of living shoreline techniques, enhance wetland habitat, and provide opportunities to educate the public and marine contractors on the ecological benefits of using nature-based tactics to protect and restore eroding shorelines.”

DNREC collaborated with the Center and Cardno civil engineering services to design the project, and provided funds and materials including stone, rock, sand and plants, along with a construction crew from the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife. The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship also provided design assistance, surveying and signage for the project.

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, Twitter or LinkedIn.

About the Center for the Inland Bays
The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays is a nonprofit organization established in 1994, and is one of 28 National Estuary Programs. With its many partners, the Center works to preserve, protect and restore Delaware’s Inland Bays and their watershed. Learn more at inlandbays.org.

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

###

 


DNREC to Present Sea Level Rise and Adaptation Webinar Sept. 14

Dr. C. Rhett Jackson

Increasing coastal resilience to sea level rise through natural infrastructure and dredge material is the topic of a free webinar at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, presented by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, in partnership with the Delaware Living Shorelines Committee.

The webinar speaker is Dr. C. Rhett Jackson of the University of Georgia, graduate coordinator for the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, and a member of Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems and Network for Engineering with Nature.

Dr. Jackson, a John Porter Stevens Distinguished Professor of Water Resources, will discuss how barrier islands and coastal communities of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, must adapt to survive due to sea level rise driven by global warming. His presentation will describe how these areas face increasing flood-related problems, issues with stormwater and sewer drainage systems, heavier damage during tropical storms, and significant loss of land area. In taking action on these issues, solutions have been developed including a mix of natural infrastructure projects, traditional infrastructure retrofits, and policy refinements. Jackson’s presentation will also touch on how beneficial use of dredge materials can help reduce overall costs of sea-level rise adaptation.

The webinar is part of an ongoing virtual series presented by the Delaware Living Shorelines Committee, a working group dedicated to facilitating the understanding, peer review and implementation of living shoreline tactics within the state. DNREC’s participation is represented by the Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program and the Delaware Coastal Training Program.

For more information, visit Delaware Living Shorelines. Registration for the webinar and more information about it are also available on the DNREC events and meetings calendar at de.gov/DNRECmeetings.

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 Watershed Stewardship develops and implements innovative watershed assessment, monitoring and implementation activities. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov


As public process begins to create plan for climate change, survey shows majority of Delawareans say it is time to act

DOVER, Del. – With public input sessions beginning next week to create Delaware’s plan to mitigate, adapt and respond to climate change, most Delawareans believe climate change and sea level rise are happening, and a majority say the state should act now to address both issues, according to a survey commissioned by DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal & Energy.

Residents surveyed also support a range of key strategies to reduce climate change and respond to rising sea levels. The survey, supervised by the University of Delaware’s Center for Political Communication, was conducted in late 2019 by Standage Market Research with the results announced today by DNREC.

On March 3, 4 and 5, public input sessions will be held to provide an opportunity for Delawareans to learn more about how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and better prepare the state for climate impacts. Workshop attendees will also have a chance to provide their thoughts on choices the state can make to more effectively take action on climate change. These workshops are the start of public interaction in creating Delaware’s Climate Action Plan, which will review what’s being done in Delaware to reduce the impacts of climate change that the state already is experiencing, such as sea level rise and increased flooding in some areas, and to provide a comprehensive “road map” of steps to help mitigate those impacts on Delaware communities.

“More and more Delawareans are experiencing the impacts that climate change and sea level rise are having on our state, and this survey shows they support actions to reduce this growing threat,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “The next step for Delawareans is to take part in conversations to help Delaware decide where and how we must act.”

The key findings of the survey include:

  • Delawareans believe in climate change. Three in 4 Delawareans (77 percent) are completely or mostly convinced that climate change is occurring, and 70 percent say the state should take immediate action to reduce its impact. Almost as many (71 percent) are completely or mostly convinced that sea level rise is happening, and almost two-thirds (63 percent) say we should take immediate action to reduce its impacts.
  • More Delawareans have personally experienced or observed local impacts of climate change. Fifty-six percent report personal experience with the impacts of climate change, compared to 53 percent from a 2014 survey sponsored by DNREC. Meanwhile, a growing proportion of Delawareans (47 percent) now say they have personally experienced sea level rise. That figure represents a 19-point increase from the 2014 climate survey (28 percent) and a 25-point increase from a 2009 survey conducted by Responsive Management (22 percent).
  • Delawareans are concerned about the future of climate change. A combined 56 percent of Delawareans think climate change will personally harm them a great deal (21 percent) or a moderate amount (35 percent). That grows to a combined 77 percent when respondents were asked if they think climate change will harm future generations a great deal (61 percent) or a moderate amount (16 percent).

“Future generations will judge us based upon the actions we take today,” Secretary Garvin said. “Failure to take action now increasingly locks us into a future with increased flooding, more intense heat waves and threats to our quality of life.”

Standage Market Research interviewed a representative sample of 1,126 registered Delaware voters for the study either by telephone (601 respondents) or online (525 respondents). Interviewees were selected through random sampling. Statistical results are weighted by demographic factors to reflect population values. The margin of sampling error for the complete set of weighted data is ± 2.9 percentage points.

A full report of the survey results will be released in March.

Three Climate Action Plan public input sessions are planned next week, one in each county, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. each evening. The first session will take place Tuesday, March 3, at the CHEER Community Center, 20520 Sand Hill Road, Georgetown. The session will move to the Wilmington Public Library, 10 East 10th Street, Wilmington, DE 19801, on Wednesday, March 4, and a final session will take place Thursday, March 5, at Del Tech’s Del-One Conference Center, 100 Campus Drive, Dover, DE 19901.

View the complete summary report of the climate perceptions survey at de.gov/climatesurvey.

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 Climate, Coastal & Enedrgy uses science, education, policy development and incentives to address Delaware’s climate, energy and coastal challenges. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

###


DNREC to hold public sessions March 3, 4, and 5 seeking input on development of Delaware’s climate action plan

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Climate, Coastal, & Energy will hold three public input sessions the first week of March seeking input on development of the state’s climate action plan.

The public input sessions will be held in each of the three counties from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. each evening:

  • Tuesday, March 3, CHEER Community Center, 20520 Sand Hill Road, Georgetown, DE 19947;
  • Wednesday, March 4, Wilmington Public Library, 10 East 10th Street, Wilmington, DE 19801;
  • Thursday, March 5, Delaware Technical Community College, Terry Campus, 100 Campus Drive, Dover, DE 19904.

Delaware has committed to reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions 26 to 28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025. The climate plan will serve as a roadmap toward achieving that goal, outlining specific actions to meet the 2025 commitment, and identifying strategies to further reduce emissions in the years beyond. The plan will also examine what’s being done in Delaware to reduce the impacts of climate change that the state already is experiencing, such as sea level rise and increased flooding in some areas, and will identify strategies to help mitigate those impacts on Delaware communities.

The workshops will provide an opportunity for Delawareans to learn more about how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and better prepare the state for climate impacts. Workshop attendees will also have a chance to provide their thoughts on choices the state can make to more effectively take action on climate change.

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


DNREC Delaware Coastal Programs now accepting letters of interest from Delaware communities for Resilient Community Partnership assistance

Applications for participating in the program are due June 29

DOVER – DNREC’s Delaware Coastal Programs (DCP) is soliciting letters of interest for participating in the Resilient Community Partnership program, whose aim is to improve the management and wise use of land and water resources while promoting compatible economic development in the coastal zone. The Resilient Community Partnership program provides technical assistance and potential funding to Delaware communities for developing local planning strategies that prepare for and reduce the impacts of coastal hazards related to flooding from sea level rise, coastal storms, and climate change.

State, county, and municipal government entities may submit letters of interest for projects that will support local resilience planning and adaptation activities in Delaware. Applicants are encouraged to communicate with DCP staff to help answer any questions and ensure all submissions address the specified criteria. Examples of previous partnerships can be found online at de.gov/resilientcommunity.

Letters of interest should demonstrate a community’s interest in, organizational support for, and capacity to enter into a partnership effort with Delaware Coastal Programs. The letter should be a maximum of eight pages, not including supporting documentation. For further guidance, applicants should consult the Call for Letters of Interest on the DNREC website.

Examples of eligible projects include, but are not limited to:

  • Assessments of vulnerability to flooding due to sea level rise, coastal storms, and nuisance flooding (“sunny-day flooding”);
  • Assessments of local land use ordinances, zoning codes, and building codes for the purpose of identifying barriers and opportunities for coordination, and recommending improvements;
  • Adaptation plans that outline short- and long-term actions for reducing vulnerability and increasing preparedness, including updating comprehensive land-use plans. Such plans can be drafted for a specific community, town, or region, or for a specific type of resource or infrastructure;
  • Design of on-the-ground adaptation projects; and
  • Plans for improving communications about flood risk and adaptation options to affected populations.

Limited funding is available for activities necessary to support project objectives that require advanced technical assistance. Delaware Coastal Programs will work with award recipients to determine the technical needs of their proposed project and, as appropriate, to retain subject matter experts or contractors to meet project requirements and deadlines.

Details about the partnership program, including application requirements and procedures, can be found on the Resilient Community Partnership webpage or by calling Delaware Coastal Programs at 302-739-9283. Applications are due no later than 4:30 p.m. Friday, June 29, 2018.

Applications may be emailed to Kelly.valencik@delaware.gov, or mailed to Delaware Coastal Programs, 100 West Water Street, Suite 7B, Dover, DE 19904 (Attn: Kelly Valencik). DNREC will announce partnership recipients on or before Wednesday, July 18, 2018.

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

Vol. 48, No. 113