DELAWARE STATE PARKS 2018 Annual Report Inside front cover Delaware State Parks 2018 Annual Report Voted America’s Best Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Division of Parks & Recreation Blank page TABLE OF CONTENTS What Who Things How We Info By We Are We Are We Do Pay For It Park 5 Our Parks and 7 Our People Put 16 Preserving, 22 Funding the 33 Alapocas Run Preserves Us on Top in Supporting, Parks FY18 Teaching 35 Auburn Valley More Than 24 Investments in Parks 11 Volunteers 17 Programming Our Parks 37 Bellevue and by the Fox Point 6 Accessible to 13 Friends of Numbers 26 Partnerships All Delaware State 40 Brandywine Parks 18 Protect and 29 Small Creek Serve Businesses 14 Advisory 42 Cape Henlopen Councils 19 We Provided 30 Management Grants Challenges 45 Delaware Seashore and Indian River Marina 49 Fenwick Island and Holts Landing 51 First State Heritage Park 53 Fort Delaware, Fort DuPont, and Port Penn Interpretive Center 55 Killens Pond 57 Lums Pond 59 Trap Pond 62 White Clay Creek 65 Wilmington State Parks and Brandywine Zoo TIMELINE Wilmington State Parks/Brandywine Zoo The Division took over the management of the Brandywine 1998 ANNIVERSARIES Zoo and three parks in the City of Wilmington: Brandywine Park, Rockford Park and Alapocas Woods. 20 Auburn Valley State Park Brandywine Creek State Park YEARS 2008 Alapocas Run State Park AGO Tom and Ruth Marshall donated Bellevue State Park Auburn Heights to the Fox Point State Park Division, completing the 10 Auburn Heights Preserve. YEARS Shortly after, the remediation and AGO development of the former Fort Delaware State Park NVF property began. Fort DuPont State Park Lums Pond State Park White Clay Creek State Park White Clay Creek State Park 50 1998 The Judge Morris Estate, The first parcels of land that make up 1968 YEARS which includes 505 acres, White Clay Creek State Park were pur- AGO was purchased by the chased. 20 Open Space Program and YEARS added to White Clay Creek State Park. Cape Henlopen AGO State Park First State Heritage Park Peter Geldof Jr., division director 1963 at the time, appeared before the House Armed Service committee Killens Pond to request land from Fort Miles. 55 State Park In 1964, 543 acres of land that YEARS established Cape Henlopen 1993 Delaware State Parks State Park was donated to the AGO built the first cabins state. More land would follow in the park system at over the years. 25 Killens Pond State YEARS Park. Cape Henlopen AGO State Park The Junction & Breakwater 2003 Trail, located on the western edge of Cape Henlopen State Delaware State Parks Park, was dedicated. 15 1993 YEARS A Carry-In/Carry Out trash- Delaware Seashore State Park free policy was implemented. Trap Pond State Park AGO Trash cans were removed Holts Landing State Park 25 from the parks, encouraging YEARS visitors to recycle and create Fenwick Island State Park AGO less waste. TOTAL SATISFACTION RATING FROM VISITOR SATISFACTION SURVEYS: PARK OUT OF RATINGS 4.5 5.0 INDIVIDUAL: Alapocas Run State Park: 4.6 Delaware Seashore State Park: 4.4 Killens Pond State Park: 4.4 Bellevue State Park: 4.4 Fort Delaware State Park: 4.5 Lums Pond State Park: 4.6 Brandywine Creek State Park : 5.0 Fox Point State Park: 3.8 Trap Pond State Park: 4.5 Cape Henlopen State Park : 4.5 Indian River Marina: 4.6 White Clay Creek State Park: 5.0 DELAWARE STATE PARKS WHAT WE ARE by the The mission of DNREC's Division of Parks & Recreation is to Numbers: 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 5.8 interpretive and educational services. million+ visitors 17 OUR PARKS AND PRESERVES Parks The Division of Parks & Recreation operates and maintains 17 state parks and related preserves and greenways throughout Delaware. STATE PARKS: PRESERVES: 26,167 Alapocas Run Fort Delaware Angola Neck Doe Bridge Auburn Valley Fort DuPont Auburn Heights Flint Woods Acres Bellevue Fox Point Barnes Woods Fork Branch Brandywine Creek Holts Landing Beach Plum Island James Branch Cape Henlopen Killens Pond Bellevue Woods Lums Pond Woods Delaware Seashore Lums Pond Brandywine Creek Valley Murderkill River Fenwick Island Trap Pond Cape Henlopen Nanticoke River First State Heritage Park White Clay Creek Cedar Creek Pea Patch Island 624 Wilmington State Parks Red Clay Creek Valley Rehoboth Bay Marshes Buildings Thompson Island on Park Land White Clay Creek Valley MORE THAN PARKS We also: • Administer Delaware’s land protection programs 160 • Provide educational and interpretive programs on natural and cultural resources • Acquire and develop recreational lands and facilities Miles of • Provide for the protection of natural areas Trails • Oversee and plan for statewide recreational needs What We Are 5 “The residents of Chimes and our staff ACCESSIBLE TO ALL have always enjoyed spending time in Delaware State Parks provide recreation, nature, environmental and educational Delaware’s beautiful opportunities to all Delawareans. It is important that all people have the ability parks. This year, to enjoy our 17 parks and more than 26,000 acres of parklands. Each year, with the addition we update and improve our parks with this all-access vision in mind. In 2018, of the wheelchair lift at White Clay we added several amenities that will provide more access for individuals of all Park, for the first abilities. time many more Chimes’ residents Cape Henlopen State Park were able to enjoy • More wheelchair-accessible mats were added at the beach to allow a greater number of the fun of a hay ride. individuals to enjoy Delaware’s pristine coast. We cannot thank • The Division installed a pole shower that accommodates individuals who use wheelchairs. the Delaware Park Services enough for their commitment to Delaware Seashore State Park all Delawareans.” • The Cottages at Indian River Marina are now wheelchair-accessible, providing beautiful views and the joys of a park stay for all. — Michele A. Mirabella Holts Landings State Park Director of Residential • Holts Landing had its parking lot repaved to compliment the accessible docks that provide Services for Chimes individuals in wheelchairs the ability to fish and crab at one of the state’s premier spots for crabbing. Lums Pond State Park • The Division spent $103,000 on renovations to its Area One bathrooms, making them accessible to all individuals. Trap Pond State Park • The Division installed an accessible dock, adding to the number of parks that allow people of all abilities to fish. White Clay Creek State Park • The park added an accessible hayride wagon in 2018 to allow people who use walkers and wheelchairs to access the wagon. These hayrides have proved popular with organizations such as Newark-based Chimes, which offers services to individuals with special needs throughout the state. • The park added two accessible docks that allows individuals in wheelchairs to enjoy fishing at the park. The new docks are already being used by the Newark-based YesUCan organization for adaptive sports. • Park staff built two accessible hunting stands that use gradually inclining steps with railings to assist individuals who might otherwise not be able to physically access deer stands. 6 Delaware State Parks Annual Report 2018 OUR PEOPLE PUT US ON TOP IN FY18 WHO A wide variety of knowledge and skills is required to keep Delaware State Parks running. Our full-time staff includes: WE ARE 54 electrical, mechanical, and maintenance staff 22 park rangers Park Rangers combine duties in 22 managers and administrators law enforcement and protection of 21 park superintendents and assistant superintendents Delaware’s natural resources and environment. 16 administrative specialists 22 full-time Delaware 11 educators State Park rangers handled over 3,750 complaints this year. 6 animal keepers and zoo managers That breaks down to 170 complaints per ranger in 1 director 2018. The ratio of park rangers to state park visitors in 2018 was to casual/seasonal 1 722 The ratio of staff, including: 267,844. park rangers to acres of • 51 ocean lifeguards to protect land managed is park swimmers at the Atlantic 1 ranger for every Ocean beaches 1,241 • 58 lifeguards to protect acres of land managed. visitors at the Killens Pond Water Park • 57 Youth Conservation Corps Members Who We Are 7 Delaware is the smallest state ever to receive WE SUCCEED WITH OUTSTANDING STAFF the National Outstanding Employees Recognized Recreation and Parks Laura Lee, superintendent of Auburn Valley State Park, was named 2017 Employee of Association the Year at the annual Delaware State Parks Gold Medal Employee Recognition Awards ceremony in March of 2018 at Deerfield in Newark. Award for Excellence Laura has provided the organization with outstanding service, ensuring its needs in State Park and its partners’ needs have been met. She Management worked with Fish and Wildlife to reintroduce trout fishing back into the park and with the University of Delaware on improving the Auburn Valley estate’s landscaping, which served as a capstone project for UD students. She also wrote an article for Outdoor Delaware that focused on the Division’s grassland management strategies. Other honorees at the March ceremony were: Outstanding Customer Service Award Outstanding Organizer Award David Wolzansky Becky Lovin Hannah Pretz David Redgraves Mazie Barbosa Kurt Blattner Michele Restucci Hill Outstanding Achiever Award Lauren Cook Alison Romano Karen Minner Lynn Klein Mandy Fischer Outstanding Innovator Award Abby Shepard Colin Adams-Toomey Elizabeth Androskaut Director’s Cup Outstanding Motivator Award The NVF Team Barbara Woodford Sarah Zimmerman Clyde L. Shipman Award for Excellence in Jacob Miller Park Management Sue Staats Outstanding Mentor Award Vincent Porcellini John Wales Mike Moyer 8 Delaware State Parks Annual Report 2018 OTHER AWARDS Tourism Partner of the Year Southern Delaware Tourism named Delaware State Parks as its Tourism Partner of the Year for its collaboration with the agency and Sussex County Chamber of Commerce.