The Evolution of the Environmental Stewardship Program

THE EVOLUTION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM

Rob Line Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation October 24, 2012

History of Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation (DSP)

• The first properties were managed by the Delaware Parks Commission; Trap Pond State Park and Ft. Delaware circa 1950 (former federal properties).

• In 1970, DSP was established as a new division within of the newly formed DNREC.

• By 1980, DSP managed 10,000 acres of land statewide in 10 different State Parks Trap Pond 1975; harvest cut, burned and planted

Open Space & Natural Areas Programs • Open Space Program was established with dedicated funding to purchase “open space lands” between 1990 and today for several state agencies…F&W, Forestry, Cultural & Historic Affairs

• These purchases increased State Park lands by 60% since 1980; up to 25,000 acres!

• Natural Areas Program conducted habitat evaluations statewide for possible protection. Began the first statewide forest mapping program in the state, which others continue to use and improve today. Pushed for the use of 1937 state aerials as a GIS resource tool, which Coastal Management then funded and completed. 20 Years of Delaware’s Protection Efforts

By 1999, 54,735 acres on the Natural Areas Inventory 1978 was under some form of 1988 protection. Natural Areas Natural Areas Inventory Inventory

55,000 acres The Open Space 100,000 acres Acquisition Program had purchased 9,570 acres of this total during the 1990 preceding 9 years. State Resource Areas Yet 50% of rare plant animal 250,000 acres species identified by the Delaware Natural Heritage Program were not on lands targeted for protection.

Are we protecting the best sites? Assessment of Park Habitats- 1995-2000 (Natural Areas Inventory Mapping)

1. Forest Cover Inventory in Tulip Tree Woods Nature Preserve Brandywine Creek State Park - 1996-7; Katie Henderson (SN)

2. White Clay Creek Forest Inventory – 1996-7; Karen Guerrina INT

3. Meadow/Hayfield Assessment – 1998; Karen Zyko (SCA Intern)

4. Worked with Jim O’Neil and Kay Hajek (SCA) to establish the first deer spotlight surveys and resident Canada Goose Program in 2000

5. Deer Exclosure Study – 2001-2; Kay Hajek and Kendall Sommers established first 8 exclosures in WCC & BCSP

In 2000, I proposed a Natural Areas Management Program to the Division….

•What are DSP natural areas management (NAM) goals ? •How do we achieve these goals? •What resources currently exist to achieve these goals? What is needed? •How are all Parks Sections going to be involved in the process?

01/21/1999 Define and Identify Conservation Targets:

- Such as high quality, biologically diverse habitats Stewardship Program Established • The Delaware Legislature Established by Delaware Code Chapter 88, Formerly House Bill No. 192 as amended by House Amendment No. 1, created an act to amend Title 30 of the Delaware Code relating to the Realty Transfer Tax

• This legislation created an account with the Land and Water Conservation Trust Fund for monies to be distributed to various state agencies in the following ratio: • Division of Parks and Recreation- 35%; • Division of Fish and Wildlife – 35%; • Department of Agriculture Forestry Section– 20%; and • Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs – 10%.

• The monies were to be used for “…the planning for, and implementation of, management projects on public lands that promote cultural preservation and conservation activities related to plants and animals and their habitat."

Division of Parks and Recreation: Cultural and Environmental Stewardship

Rich Green in WCCSP Bradford pear in WCCSP Parks Stewardship Funds were divided 50-50; later 60-40 with ESP getting 60%

Tulip Tree Woods Nature Preserve 2002-2005 Control of Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus), with cut stump treatments using Garlon 3A.

This was a dominant shrub in the preserve, first established near the nature center. Did someone plant this shrub?

Matt Baker, photo by Kendall Sommers circa 2003

- Endangered, threatened, rare and uncommon species The importance of catching invasive species before they get out of control.

- Abundance Threshold

- Lag Phase - Irreversibility

Assessing Invasive Species Threats to Targets - Invasive species based - Site Based (Spatial Distribution)

When Assessing by Species:

Determine the current extent and rate of spread of the invader

What are the current and potential impacts on Targets

Value of the habitats/areas that the invader infests or may infest

Difficulty of control

Site Based Assessment Identify & map invaded and invasive-free areas

Maintenance Condition - less than 1% invasive plant cover in any layer within any management year Light Invasion - less than 10% invasive plant cover in any layer within any management year, with less than 10% canopy gaps

Moderate Invasion - from 10% to 50% invasive plant cover in any layer within any management year, with less than 25% canopy gaps

Heavy Invasion - from 50% to 75% invasive plant cover in any layer within any management year, and between 25% & 50% canopy gaps

Invasive Dominated Gaps - Greater than 75% invasive plant cover in any layer within any management year, over 50% canopy gaps Tulip Tree Woods Nature Preserve

After ten years of management, this 24 acres has greatly improved and is currently in light invasion condition.

Although not free of invasives, the site is now 95% dominated by native species in all forest layers.

Setting Priorities for Invasive Control:

1) Focus on large blocks of un-invaded area and KEEP them invasive free 2) Control small outlier invasive populations first 3) Unfragment boundaries of the target area

4) Reverse the invasion from edges, work from the inside out

5) Control from upstream to downstream and/or large invasive ‘source’ populations first 6) Roads, trails, and watercourses are invasion corridors, survey regularly. 7) Keep focus on conservation targets. Restoration may be necessary

Environmental Stewardship Program (ESP) Rob Line, Biologist/Program Manager Chris Bennett, Natural Resource Planning Specialist

• Northern Crew • Southern Crew • Formed in 2002 with two seasonal employees, • Formed in 2004 with an intern and 4 This crew is now based in White Clay Creek AmeriCorps members, this crew is now based State Park. in Cape Henlopen State Park.

• Primary Work Conducted in: • Primary Work Conducted in: • Brandywine Creek State Park • Cape Henlopen State Park • Flint Woods Nature Preserve • Delaware Seashore & Fenwick Island State Parks • White Clay Creek State Park • Trap Pond State Park • Pea Patch Island Nature Preserve • Cedar Creek Nature Preserve • Lums Pond State Park • Killens Pond State Park • Wilmington State Parks • Thompson Island Nature Preserve • Ft. Delaware & Ft. DuPont State Parks • Fork Branch Nature Preserve • Bellevue State Park • Ashley Kroon, Seasonal Field • Kendall Sommers, Field Biologist Biologist • Six Seasonal Biological Aides • Five Seasonal Biological Aides

Stewardship Differences: North or South • North of the canal, the predominance of disturbed habitats and subsequent invasion by non-native plant species has been significant due to the availability of nearby seed sources. • In the North; ESP identifies and defends the highest quality habitats

• South of the canal, disturbed habitats have frequently reverted to their native components due to a lack of nearby seed sources. This is changing as development has invaded the agricultural communites below the canal. • In the South, ESP has worked to eliminate invasives from some park properties and works to prevent new invasions. AMERICAN REINVESTMENT ACT – US FOREST SERVICE AND THE DELAWARE FOREST SERVICE 2009-2011 Over $350,000 dollars of funding helped support State Parks ESP work to reforest 150 acres, create firebreaks, write fire management plans and control invasive species at a time when our stewardship funding was rapidly shrinking. Long range forest management goals cerulean warbler

Reforestation of select fields to reduce forest fragmentation and increase habitat for interior forest nesting birds and other flora and fauna spotted salamander

Margo Len Weaver Manage selected fields as habitat for scrub/shrub habitat specialists cutleaf toothwort willow flycatcher

northern arrowwood Control of invasive non-native plants and natural restoration of a diverse native understory

David G. Smith 1997-2002 www.delawarewildflowers.org David G. Smith 1997-2002 www.delawarewildflowers.org Invasive Species Control in high quality and/or forested habitats is accomplished by skilled Invasive Plant Management Teams.. bobolink Managing meadows for biodiversity

Most grassland birds require relatively large areas of grassland to breed.

Most meadows in the State Park system © USFWS (S. Maslowski) are smaller than 25 acres. eastern meadowlark By managing small adjacent fields as a www.cevl.msu.org single large unit, we can try to entice these birds to nest in our parks. viceroy and goldenrod grasshopper sparrow Baltimore checkerspot © Brad Sillasen

www.stthomas.edu Small meadows can be managed for wildflowers, butterflies and other species that are not as area sensitive as grassland birds. butterflyweed www.watershedradio.org www.panix.com Brandywine Creek State Park – Meadow Management Units For Multiple Recreational Use & Biological Values

-Manage for disappearing habitat types and rare species - For breeding grassland birds: Eastern Meadowlark, Grasshopper Sparrow, American Kestrel, Bobwhite -For migratory winter bird and butterfly habitat - For increasing rare wildflowers and pollinators being eliminated by modern hay management - For characteristic historic farming operations -For vistas and scenic values - For recreational benefits of open fields

TRAIL SAFETY FUNDING FROM RECREATIONAL TRAILS PROGRAM

$190,000 dollars of funding provided for visual sightline/edge of trail maintenance. ESP’s focus is preventing the spread of invasives along trails while promoting native growth and still maintaining sightlines. Balancing Habitat Costs &Trail Sustainability • Trails consume habitat and create internal ‘disturbed edges’ , creating corridors for both human disturbance and biological invasion along the trail. • The wider the trail corridor becomes, these effects become magnified. Trails with the smallest physical footprint in natural habitats are best…by far.

3.67 acres per mile .97 acres per mile .61 acres per mile Rob Line, Environmental Stewardship Program Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation

DELAWARE SWG – STATE WILDLIFE GRANTS Funding provided by the United States Wildlife Service and managed by the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife; $100,000 has been provided for various ESP projects that support non-game wildlife and critical habitat.

Wildlife Management in Delaware State Parks

Environmental Stewardship Program 9 November 2010

Diamond-back Terrapin mortality in Delaware Seashore State Park has been significantly reduced due to efforts of Parks- ESP. With DNREC Soil & Water help, a fence was constructed that direct turtles to other nesting areas in the park that preliminary data from DNREC Fish & Wildlife demonstrates is successful hatching percentages. CIB volunteers are now monitoring the population while Parks-ESP maintains the fence (2002 until present).

Park-ESP has managed Resident Canada Goose Egg Addling Program since 2002 Beachnesting Birds Piping Plover Threatened Species Nine Pairs in 2010 Red Fox Removal vs. Piping Plover Breeding Success at Cape Henlopen State Park

Fox Trapped Cape 80 Plover Pairs 69 70 60 61 60 Plover Fledglings 60 Linear (Plover Fledglings) 50 43 40 32 29 30 22 21 20 14 13 13 12 14 9 10 10 910 9 9 10 8 7 8 6 6 7 6 3 3 5 0 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000

Year Pea Patch Island

Heronry 1954 1926

1977 2007 1 2 3

9 5

8 7 Aerial Survey

Evening Flight Survey

Fall Nest Survey Pea Patch Island Evening Survey May Survey Totals 1200

1000

GBHE 800 LBHE GREG

600 CAEG SNEG

Number Birds of Number GLIB 400 BCNH YCNH

200

0 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

White-tailed Deer Management in Delaware State Parks White-Tailed Deer Numbers in North America

Millions 10

16th Century 17th Century 18th Century 19th Century 20th Century 21st Century Market Hunting Deer Hide Trade

Intro of Game Laws Westward Expansion Time Frame Population Collapse and Recovery

Intense hunting pressure on deer lowered the North American populations to less than half a million deer in just 365 years!

Since the Lacey Act in 1900, which slowed the exploitation of deer, populations have recovered to the point where they are approaching 30 million again

Since 2004, Parks - ESP has increased the deer harvest in WCCSP by adding special hunts, evaluating and changing current hunting practices, and developing partnerships inside and outside of DNREC. White-tail Deer Management in White Clay Creek State Park & Vicinity

400

49 350 40

300 70 91 Middle Run - F&W 250 81 Dupont Hunts 88 200 90 105 53 Special Hunts 150 Regular Seasons 100 Total Deer Deer Harvested Total 163 145 153 130 126 133 109 94 102 106 50 86 80 75 73 58 0 In 2005, ESP bought 20 deer stands, coordinated with park staff, and held the first deer hunt within the Carpenter Recreation area of White Clay Creek State Park. This ground-breaking hunt took 40 deer in two days. Special hunts now contribute over 35% of the total deer harvest in the park. Managed Hunts • 2005-2006 • 2008-2009 season: –WCCSP- 4 hunts – WCCSP- 2 hunts

• 2006-2007 • 2009-2010 season: –WCCSP- 2 hunts – WCCSP- 1 hunt – FDSP- 1 hunt – KPSP- 1 hunt • 2007-2008 season: –WCCSP- 8 hunts –FDSP- 1 hunt • 2010-2011 season: –KPSP- 1 hunt – WCCSP- 1 hunt – KPSP- 1 hunt

– BCSP- 1 hunt

Protecting Sensitive Vegetation • Deer exclosures prevent access to vegetation within cage. • Protects rare and/or young plants from browsing. • Allow us to observe the landscape with (uncaged) and without (caged) deer browse.

White Clay Creek K. Thomas

K. Thomas

Purple Fringeless Orchid- WCCSP Fort DuPont K. Thomas Deer have the ability to severely alter a habitat. Many native flora and fauna are greatly affected by the overgrazing of deer:

Hooded Warbler Seedling Oaks Mountain Laurel

Mayapple Eastern Chipmunk BREEDING BIRD SURVEY – WHITE CLAY CREEK STATE PARK 2011-12 Driven by the need to establish a baseline of breeding bird use of habitats in the park to inform both stewardship and recreational planning for the park. Beers Atlas 1868: WCCSP – WS Carpenter between Wells Lane and the Creek 1937 – WS Carpenter

1954 – WS Carpenter 1968 – WCC Carpenter 2002 – WS Carpenter 2010 WCC w/ 1937 Forest overlay WCC Forest Breeding Bird Survey 2011-12 ESP Biologist Chris Bennett has begun doing annual surveys at 30 points in WCCSP.

The purpose is long- term monitoring of current nesting birds and the affect this may have on park management, both environmental and recreational.

The existing data is presence data collected during migration in only the main stem river valley.

White Clay Creek State Park…

Issues that are current threats to the biodiversity of the park in 2011 and in the immediate future.

1) Invasive species 2) Over-abundant Species 3) Lack of Stochastic Events (Elimination of Fire) 4) Human Recreational Impacts upon habitat Threats to the biodiversity of White Clay Creek State Park:

Over-abundant Deer: Although we have reduced the White- tailed Deer Population by 25%, it is still much too high.

Interior forest invasive Species Threats to the herbaceous and shrub layers from shade tolerant invasive species

Threat to the parks Oaks Species: We have an aging population of large oak trees that are in danger of leaving behind no cohorts, no subsequent generations. We are looking at a local extinction event this century.

Hostile Edges: Our 40+ miles of field edges along forests and hedgerows are heavily Invaded by invasive species. These edges need to be healed. With the addition of Porcelain-berry to the mix, the threat has increased to the park’s forests.

Emerald Ash Borer: Floodplain forests will be devastated by this invasive insect within the next decade. Porcelain-berry Ampelopsis brevipedunculata WATER BUFFALO IN THE MARSH Prescribed Grazing as a Management Tool

Freshwater Marsh Nature Preserve Brandywine Creek State Park - 2012

River Water Buffalo Bubalus bubalis

Two yearling bull members of the Wagner Buffalo Farm in Milford Delaware spent 50 days in the marsh this summer.

A joint project with USF&W, DE F&W, and DSP. The project was a great success.

THE ROLE OF FIRE ON THE ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE

Rob Line Environmental Stewardship Program

November 7, 2007

Cape Henlopen State Park – DDA Forestry, DSP February 27 – 28, 2012 Conditions must be perfect and the staff ready.

June 10, 2012….just over three months following the burn,

POTENTIAL THREATS TO DELAWARE ECOSYSTEMS Coming to a habitat near you!

Wavyleaf Basketgrass – Oplismensus hirtellus spp. undulatifolius New threat to open habitats!

Ornamental grasses seem to be the rage in landscape design right now…this species has escaped in several places in DE already. Up to 12’ tall Chinese Silver Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) in front of Japanese Angelica Tree (Aralia elata). From all of us, Thank you for listening! - ESP – DE State Parks