National Pollution Prevention Week Sept. 15-21 Encourages Sustainable Practices
September 12, 2008
Green Lodging, Clean Marina and Coastal Cleanup Among Week’s Activities
DOVER, Del. – Pollution Prevention…Where Sustainable Practices Begin is the theme of this year’s National Pollution Prevention Week Sept. 15-21, and DNREC’s Pollution Prevention Program, or P2, encourages all Delawareans to join the growing movement of people who have adopted pollution prevention practices in their daily lives.
“It’s so much easier and more cost effective to prevent pollution in the first place, than to clean it up afterwards,” said Crystal Nagyiski, DNREC’s P2 program manager. “National Pollution Prevention Week is the perfect time to actively seek to prevent pollution at home, work and school by starting activities that will reduce, reuse and recycle waste.”
Pollution prevention practices are often simple and easy to do – carpool whenever possible, replace incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient fluorescent ones, and use reusable cups for coffee and other beverages – to name just a few. DNREC’s P2 web site includes a list of the many ways to prevent pollution at the source before it is generated.
National Pollution Prevention Week originated in California in 1992 and in 1995 gained widespread popularity when it became a national effort. The week is an opportunity for individuals, businesses and government to highlight pollution prevention and sustainability activities and achievements, expand current pollution prevention and commit to new actions.
National Pollution Prevention Week is being celebrated in Delaware by events that recognize outstanding and innovative pollution prevention programs and activities. This year’s events highlight programs adopted by hotels and marinas and include an oil spill response training for boaters and marina staff. In addition, the largest statewide cleanup effort by citizens, organizations and businesses – the Delaware Coastal Cleanup – with more than 1,800 volunteers, will be held.
On Sept. 15 the Delaware Green Lodging Program will honor a New Castle hotel for promoting and offering sustainable pollution prevention practices, such as recycling and water conservation, that can also meet customer demand and improve a hotel’s bottom line. The Delaware Clean Marina certification event on Sept. 17 will acknowledge three marinas for implementing pollution prevention measures that ultimately improve water quality, reduce costs associated with waste disposal and generate new sources of revenue. Immediately after the Clean Marina event, DNREC’s emergency responders will join P2 staff for marine spill response training that will help boaters and marina operators recognize and react to oil and waste spills on our waterways.
Delawareans from all walks of life will join in the 23rd annual Delaware Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 20, part of the world’s largest annual clearing of coastlines and lakes by volunteers. The cleanup spans the state’s 97-mile coastline from north of Wilmington to Fenwick Island and includes 45 sites targeted for cleanup. Volunteers will help identify the source of debris, so future efforts can focus on eliminating or reducing pollution. Last year volunteers collected more than 12,000 pounds of trash during this one-day event.
To learn more about the many P2 programs available for business, industry and the public, visit DNREC’s Pollution Prevention web site, http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/p2
.
Related posts
New Signs Urge Citizens to Respect and Protect Sand Dunes in Delaware
August 18, 2008
The DNREC Shoreline and Waterways Management Section has formed a partnership with the Delaware Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation to educate the public about protecting Delaware’s sand dunes through colorful new signs that urge: “Respect Your Beach – Please Stay Off the Dunes.” The first set of these signs have been placed at Herring Point in Cape Henlopen State Park, notable both for its popularity as a surf spot and for having spectacular sand dunes.
Last year, two rock groins were rebuilt by DNREC to reduce the threat of coastal erosion to those dunes and the beach at Herring Point.
“The benefits of this project have been quite noticeable this summer at Herring Point. Before and after photos clearly reveal its effects. Before, in April 2007, shows almost no beach, while the after shot, taken this month, shows the beach has widened tremendously. Also, an erosive gully on the dune face has been stabilized,” said Environmental Scientist Mike Powell.
With the groins successfully accumulating sand and building a wider beach, the dunes at Herring Point are less threatened by high tides and storms. More than 100 volunteers planted beach grass on the front of the dunes at Herring Point this spring to further stabilize the newly protected areas.
“Planting grass on the front of the dunes had been pointless for several years due to chronic storm damage,” Powell said. “Now the grass should be able to grow and thrive.”
With the dunes less threatened by storms and erosion, the next step is to protect the dunes from pedestrian damage. As the grass has become established, it is becoming obvious where walking on the dunes is killing vegetation, Powell continued.
“Herring Point is one of those areas where the dunes seem to be attractive for exploration,” said Powell. “I’m not sure how many people still don’t understand that sand dunes are fragile and are harmed by foot traffic, but the bottom line is that a lot of people are walking on the dunes and it’s having a noticeable impact.”
The Surfrider Foundation purchased the Respect Your Beach signs to remind beach users that walking on the dunes is not only harmful, but disrespectful – disrespectful to the environment and disrespectful to others who want to enjoy a more pristine beach.
“And ‘Respect Your Beach’ applies to more than just the dunes,” said Mark Carter, Chairman of the Delaware Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. “It means picking up trash on the beach - even if it’s not yours - reducing or eliminating the use of plastic beverage containers, being mindful of wildlife and sensitive areas along our coasts, and minimizing one’s contributions to water pollution.”
Carter added that his organization is very enthusiastic about the new partnership. “The Delaware Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is excited to be teaming up with the state to help protect our beaches, and we hope that these advisories will help the public enjoy the beaches responsibly.”
The Respect Your Beach signs have been placed by the DNREC Shoreline and Waterway Management Program at locations where foot traffic is having a visible impact on the dunes, and especially on dune vegetation. Respect Your Beach signs are also planned for other locations, such as Tower Road and Indian River Inlet, other popular surfing spots where dune protection is vital.
“These signs are meant to stand out from the traditional green signs that say ‘Please Keep Off the Dunes and Beachgrass.’ Hopefully there’s an element of peer pressure with the Surfriders’ involvement - it’s not just authority figures like the Park Rangers who don’t want you messing up the place. It’s also the people using the beach or riding the waves,” Powell added.
Founded in 1984, the Surfrider Foundation is a grassroots, non-profit, environmental organization that works to protect our oceans, waves, and beaches. The organization has 60 chapters located along the East, West, Gulf, Puerto Rican, and Hawaiian coasts. For more information about the Delaware chapter and its environmental projects, please visit www.surfrider.org/Delaware.
For more information about DNREC’s Shoreline and Waterways Management Section, please visit www.swc.dnrec.delaware.gov/Pages/CoastalConsBeachPres.aspx.
Related posts
DNREC Fisheries to Hold Aug. 27 Public Hearing on State Fisherman Registry Regulations
August 17, 2008
The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will hold a public hearing regarding proposed new regulations that would establish state fisherman registries at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 27 in the DNREC Auditorium, Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover. The new regulations would go into effect Jan. 1, 2009.
In order to improve upon present means of determining recreational catch and effort in marine waters, Congress authorized the National Marine Fisheries Service to compile a nationwide registry of all anglers fishing in saltwater beginning in 2009 and to begin charging for participation in this registry as of 2011. According to existing federal plans, fees generated by this program will be deposited in the federal treasury and not returned to the states.
“These proposed additions to Delaware’s tidal and non-tidal fishing regulations will allow us to meet these new federal requirements, with no additional cost to our anglers,” said DNREC Fisheries Section Administrator Roy Miller. “The federal National Marine Fisheries Service has been tasked to identify saltwater anglers for survey purposes. If we can provide a complete registry of Delaware’s marine recreational fishermen from our state-issued fishing license program, our anglers will be exempt from participating in the federal registry and federal license fees.”
Delaware Code currently requires a general fishing license to fish in tidal and non-tidal waters, and license applications contain most of the information needed for a state registry, with one important exception. “Under the new regulations, the first question we would ask our license applicants is ‘fresh, salt or both?’ Presently we have no way to determine this, and the Fisheries Service is only looking for saltwater angler information,” Miller said.
A complete registry would also need to include Delaware saltwater anglers who are not legally required to have a fishing license, or National Marine Fisheries would classify Delaware as non-exempt. Current Delaware fishing license regulations allow the holder of a recreational boat license to take any number of non-licensed anglers with them on the licensed vessel, and therefore these unlicensed anglers would not be included in a database of Delaware anglers. In addition, resident senior citizens age 65 and older also are exempt from Delaware recreational fishing license requirements.
Therefore, to avoid a federal determination that Delaware is a non-exempt state, the proposed regulation will establish a state-level registration process, to be known as the F.I.N number (Fisherman Information Network), for all anglers fishing in Delaware.
The new regulation would require all prospective Delaware anglers age 16 or older, licensed or not, to obtain a F.I.N number on an annual basis before fishing in Delaware waters. This requirement is similar to a federal registration system known as the Hunter Information Program (H.I.P.) for all who intend to hunt migratory birds.
The F.I.N. number would be available at no cost to anglers by calling a toll free number or by providing requested information online. Anglers would be asked for their name, address, phone number and whether they intend to fish in freshwater, tidal water or both. Each person who requests a F.I.N. number should write this number on his or her Delaware fishing license, or for those who are legally unlicensed, be able to produce this number when asked by an authorized enforcement agent.
Both the website address and toll-free number would be advertised and made readily available to all Delaware anglers.
Once all Delaware fishermen have obtained a F.I.N. number and the National Marine Fisheries Service has a copy of Delaware’s saltwater angler registry, Delaware will be exempt from the federal marine recreational fishing registry and charges.
Individuals may present opinions and evidence either at the public hearing or in writing to Lisa Vest, Hearing Officer, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901 or via e-mail to Lisa [dot] Vest [at] state [dot] de [dot] us. The hearing record will remain open for written or e-mail comments until 4:30 p.m. Aug. 31, 2008.
For more information, please contact the Division of Fish and Wildlife, Fisheries Section, at 302-739-3441.
Related posts
Early Events Could Forecast Busy Summer Season of Fish Kills for DNREC
June 18, 2008
On Tuesday, DNREC staff responded to a fish kill involving an estimated 30,000 young menhaden in Dirickson Creek, a tributary of Assawoman Bay near Fenwick Island. The cause was the same as two earlier fish kills in the Inland Bays this year: not enough dissolved oxygen in the water.
These three events could be just the beginning of what promises to be a busy year for fish kills, Fisheries Manager and Fish Kill Coordinator Craig Shirey said today. “Last year we had very, very few fish kills in the Inland Bays, but this year seems to be shaping up very differently,” Shirey said. “We’re not seeing a significant difference in water quality this year. What we are seeing, however, is a bumper crop of menhaden.”
Atlantic menhaden provide a vital link in the food chain of the Inland Bays and adjoining ocean, serving as a protein-rich food source for striped bass, bluefish and a host of other species. Menhaden are rich in oils and are also processed for food supplements. Adults spawn in the ocean in early spring, and their fry swim into the Inland Bays and other estuaries, where they grow large enough to return to the sea at the end of the summer.
Young menhaden travel in huge, dense schools, seeking rich areas of plankton and algae to feed upon – and, Shirey explained, the larger the school, the more dissolved oxygen in the water the fish need. “During sunny summer days, aquatic plants make oxygen. When the sun goes down, they stop making oxygen and begin consuming it. Levels can drop a little or a lot, depending on demand. So if you have a school of thousands of menhaden as well as other aquatic organisms using up the oxygen, nighttime levels can drop too low for their survival. The result is a fish kill,” Shirey explained.
An algae bloom can complicate this equation. Bright sunny days encourage algae growth, contributing to the oxygen supply, and then consuming it at night. “Plus, the algae can die, drop to the bottom and decompose, consuming even more oxygen,” Shirey said.
A number of other factors can also contribute to or cause fish kills, including toxic species of marine microorganisms. However, none of the fish kills that have occurred in the Inland Bays this year appear to have been caused by any toxic species, he added.
Although the Inland Bays rise and fall with the tides, these salty inland waters have only two inlets from the ocean – one at Indian River and one at Ocean City. Those inlets do not generate the flushing movement necessary to circulate the water and evenly distribute the oxygen in it, especially in still water coves, as well as creeks such as Dirickson, Pepper and Blackwater, where this year’s fish kills have occurred, Shirey added.
Fisheries biologists routinely monitor the status of fish and other aquatic species, while environmental laboratory scientists from the DNREC Division of Water Resources keep an ongoing record of water quality in the Inland Bays as well as other waterways throughout the state. In the Inland Bays area, DNREC also works with volunteers in the Citizens Monitoring Program for sampling and other information gathering.
Between 1981 and 2007, DNREC has documented 59 fish kills in the Inland Bays, with only four in May and June, noted Marine Biologist Dr. Robin Tyler, one of the scientists who currently monitor water quality in the area. “What these three early kills mean for the rest of the season is hard to say. However, with the unpredictable weather and early heat wave, the number of citizens complaints we’ve already had about algae and what appears to be a very large class of juvenile menhaden for 2008, I feel we could see more than usual this summer,” Tyler added.
Area residents who observe an unusual number of dead or dying fish are encouraged to report their observations, including an estimate of how many fish are involved and what species if they can tell. Depending on the situation, Fisheries biologists, Fish and Wildlife Enforcement, environmental scientists and/or volunteers will respond to check out a fish kill. To help determine the cause of the event, responders will estimate the number of dead fish, note the species, location and other conditions, and, when necessary, take water samples.
“Fish kills are sometimes a natural occurrence. However, human activities ranging from changes to the shoreline to lawn fertilizer runoff providing extra nutrients in the water can have a bearing on these events. Our job is to monitor them, determine causes and watch for potentially preventable problems such as pollution,” Shirey said.
To report a suspected fish kill, please call 302-739-9914 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 800-523-3336 weekends and after hours.
Related posts
DNREC to Host July 7 Public Hearing on Proposed Revisions to Shad and River Herring Management Plan
June 17, 2008
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Division of Fish and Wildlife, will host a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 7 in the DNREC auditorium, Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, regarding proposed revisions to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fishery Management Plan for Shad and River Herring.
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission has developed a public information document (PID) as the first step to drafting an amendment in response to the findings of the 2007 benchmark stock assessment for American shad, which indicates that American shad stocks are currently at all-time lows and do not appear to be recovering.
Specific issues addressed are: (1) incorporating the biological reference points and stock restoration goals identified in the 2007 benchmark stock assessment; (2) not increasing directed fisheries for American shad; and (3) restricting fisheries operating on stocks where total mortality is increasing and relative abundance is decreasing. The PID has been developed to address these issues by seeking public comment on the restoration of American shad fisheries and American shad fisheries management.
The PID presents a broad overview of the factors affecting American shad, and provides the public with the opportunity to tell the Commission about changes observed in the fishery; things that should or should not be done in terms of management, regulation, enforcement, research, development, and enhancement; and any other concerns about the resource or the fishery. Other coastal states including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia will also be holding public hearings on the proposed changes.
Following the initial phase of information-gathering and public comment, the Commission will evaluate potential management alternatives and develop a draft amendment for public review. Following that review and public comment, the Commission will specify the management measures to be included in the final amendment. A tentative schedule for the completion of the amendment is included in PID.
Copies of the PID may be obtained by contacting the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission at 202-289-6400 or by visiting its website at www.asmfc.org under Breaking News.
Citizens may address comments in writing to Erika Robbins, Fisheries Management Plan Coordinator, 1444 ‘Eye’ Street, NW, Sixth Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005, fax to 202-289-6051, or email to comments [at] asmfc [dot] org, subject line American shad. Public comment will be accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, July 25.
Related posts
Fish for Free in Delaware Waters June 7 and 8
May 30, 2008
Have you been thinking of casting a line into that nearby stream or daydreaming about a sunny afternoon on the beach with your surf rod and reel, but just haven’t gotten round to purchasing your 2008 Delaware fishing license yet?
To celebrate National Fishing Week, June 1-8, the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife invites you to test your favorite First State waters for a free taste of this year’s fishing, clamming and crabbing season by holding free fishing days on Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8. On these two days, anyone may fish in Delaware waters without a fishing license.
National Fishing Week festivities will also include the Division’s 22nd Annual Youth Fishing Tournament from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 7 at Ingrams Pond in Millsboro, Wyoming Pond in Wyoming’s Town Park and the dog training area at Lums Pond State Park in Bear.
With the exception of this one weekend, resident and non-resident anglers between the ages of 16 and 64 fishing in any Delaware waters – including lakes, ponds, impoundments, streams, bay and ocean - are required to purchase a fishing license and display it while fishing. Clammers and crabbers are also required to have fishing licenses. Delaware residents 65 and older, and both residents and non-residents under age 16 do not have to purchase a license. Licenses are required for non-residents age 65 and older.
Fishing licenses for Delaware residents cost $8.50, while non-residents pay $20. Licenses may be purchased at DNREC’s Richardson and Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, or at any of the more than 100 license agents located in sporting goods stores, hardware stores and other businesses throughout the state.
The 2008 Fishing Guide, which includes complete details on licensing and exemptions, is also available from the DNREC Dover office, licensing agents and on the Division of Fish and Wildlife website.
To purchase a Delaware fishing license online, view the Fishing Guide, or for more information on fishing licenses, please visit the Fisheries homepage at www.fw.delaware.gov/Fisheries/Pages/Fisheries.aspx.
For other inquiries or further information, please call 302-739-9918.
Related posts
Volunteers, Boats Sought for June 21 Inland Bays Cleanup
May 22, 2008
The Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section in Sussex County, along with the Center for the Inland Bays and the Division of Parks and Recreation, will be hosting the Fourth Annual Cleanup of the Inland Bays beginning at 9 a.m. and finishing up about 3 p.m., Saturday, June 21.
This year there will be two starting locations, one at Massey’s Landing at the end of Long Neck Road and one at the Mulberry Landing Boat Ramp in the Assawoman Wildlife Area near Fenwick Island. A number of local businesses are donating money, food and equipment such as dumpsters.
Cleanup volunteers are needed, as well as pontoon boats, duck boats and lots of enthusiasm. Volunteers should dress to get dirty and be prepared for cooler conditions on the water as well as wet walking conditions on land. Boots are also suggested. Those who have access to lifejackets should bring one, as they are required on boats. Otherwise, lifejackets will be provided. Young children should not attend.
Last year’s event drew 50 volunteers who collected a large quantity of debris, including soda bottles and cans, tires, a hot water heater and a lot of plastic. A large construction dumpster was donated and filled by the end of the day.
DNREC and the Center for the Inland Bays have a new initiative underway this year which was funded by State Representatives Joseph W. Booth, Gerald W. Hocker and Peter C. Schwartzkopf.
“Boaters will be seeing a yellow diamond shaped sign posted at many of the boat ramps around the Inland Bays this year. The sign has the logos of both agencies on it, a challenge to the users of the Inland Bays to take care of this fragile ecosystem, and the acronym CPR, which stands for Conserve, Protect, and Respect. We hope that through activities such as the clean-up and reminders like this challenging sign, the persons using the Inland Bays will pause long enough to make decisions that truly benefit these waterways,” said Lt. Aaron Hurd of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement.
Volunteers are encouraged to sign up in advance, as lunch and t-shirts will be provided. To volunteer or for more information, please contact Debbe Passwaters at 302-856-2656 or debbe0904 [at] mchsi [dot] com or Marie Burke at 302-934-9495 or pebble128 [at] aol [dot] com.
Related posts
Proposed Regulation Protecting Bald Eagles to Be Workshop Topic on May 28
May 22, 2008
The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife will hold a public workshop on a proposed new regulation to protect bald eagles at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 28 in the DNREC Auditorium, Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover. A public hearing on the proposed regulation will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 4 in the same location.
“Bald eagles are very sensitive to disturbance, which may result in failure of nests or abandonment of nest sites, and, according to scientific studies in the region, require significant no-disturbance buffers around their nests,” said Division Zoologist Christopher Heckscher, noting that in Delaware, the acreage of development in proximity to current nest sites is proposed to double in the next five years.
Delaware Code currently protects eagles from disturbance but does not define disturbance. The new regulation proposes to adopt the same level of protection to eagle nest sites that was formerly provided under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 prior to the eagle’s removal from the federal Endangered Species List in August 2007.
“In recent year, bald eagles have made a tremendous comeback from the brink of extinction, which led to their removal from the federal Endangered Species List. However, in order ensure their future and to maintain their numbers, they still need our protection,” said Karen Bennett, Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program Manager.
The proposed regulation is available for public inspection at the Division’s Wildlife Section office in the Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover. For more information, please contact Karen Bennett at 302-739-9912 or Christopher Heckscher at 302-653-2880.
Citizens may address written comments on the proposed regulation to the Wildlife Section, Division of Fish and Wildlife, 4876 Hay Point Landing Road, Smyrna, DE 19977, or email comments to karen [dot] bennett [at] state [dot] de [dot] us or christopher [dot] heckscher [at] state [dot] de [dot] us, or to DNREC Hearing Officer Lisa Vest at lisa [dot] vest [at] state [dot] de [dot] us. The record will remain open for written comments until 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 14.
Related posts
Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier Set to Re-Open on Friday
May 21, 2008
(Dover, Del.) DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation will re-open the Cape Henlopen Fishing Pier in Lewes on Friday, May 23.
The pier has been closed since April 29 while new fencing was installed to block off sections of the pier in need of repair. Eighteen of the pier’s pilings, located throughout the pier, were identified in an engineering report commissioned by DNREC as “requiring immediate repair in order to keep the entire inner portion of the pier open.”
During the closure, park officials consulted with engineers to confirm that the pier could be safely reopened for the 2008 season. Temporary fencing has been installed and more permanent safety barriers will be erected in June.
“We’re pleased to have the pier back open in time for the Memorial Day holiday,” said John A. Hughes, DNREC Secretary. “We want to assure the public that the pier is safe, as long as they stay out of the areas that are fenced off.”
In April, a review was conducted by the structural engineering firm of Baker, Ingram & Associates. In addition to the 18 pilings requiring immediate repair, the report identified 146 (or 25 percent) of the pilings on the inner portion of the pier that have little or no capacity for vertical or lateral loads.
The new fencing blocks off the areas where those 18 pilings are located while allowing the remainder of the pier to be utilized.
“This is good news for thousands of anglers and visitors who use the pier,” said Charles Salkin, director of Delaware State Parks. “The closure, which adversely affected a lot of people, was necessary to ensure the public’s overall safety. The new fencing reinforces our commitment to keeping the pier open as long as the public is safe.”
Part of the 1,800-foot pier was temporarily closed in August of 2006 after structural problems were identified in the pier’s pilings and support structure. Ten pilings were repaired to allow for the reopening of the landward 1,200-foot section of the pier. The 600-foot seaward section of the pier, including the ‘T-Head’ has been closed since that time due to safety concerns.
The all-wooden pier, originally constructed during WW II by the Department of the Army as a Mining Wharf, has undergone limited rehabilitation over the years, most recently with new decking and railings about 12 years ago.
The cost to repair the 18 pilings needing immediate repair is estimated to be $150,000. No funding is presently available. If repaired, it may be possible to use the pier for another year. After that, the pier will most likely require more rebuilding or replacement. The approximate cost to replace the existing wooden structure with a new concrete pier is $15 to $16 million.