The Delaware Forest Service's urban and community forestry program will hold its 7th Annual Delaware Arborist and Tree Care Seminar—a one and a half-day event on October 30 and 31, 2017 at the Delaware State Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall. Speakers include tree care experts, policymakers, and academic researchers who will incorporate classroom lectures, outdoor demonstrations, and vendor exhibits to cover tree pest and disease issues, tree care management, and best practices in worker safety and pesticide use. Attendees can earn continuing education credits toward International Society of Arboriculture and Maryland Licensed Tree Expert certifications, as well as Delaware pesticide credits. Cost is $95 for both days (meals and snacks included). To register, go to delawaretrees.com. For more information, email Kesha.Braunskill@state.de.us.

Delaware farmers, between 18 and 40 years old have the opportunity to apply for the Young Farmers Loan Program through November 30, 2017. The program provides long-term, no-interest loans to help eligible farmers purchase land, reducing the financial impact on farmers just starting out or looking to expand.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture announced today that seven projects received grant funding through USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant program. Delaware received nearly $300,000 to enhance the competitiveness of Delaware grown specialty crops, defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture and nursery crops (including floriculture).

The Delaware Urban and Community Forestry Program is offering up to $5,000 in grants for community-based tree projects throughout the First State.  The program is open to all Delaware municipalities, homeowner associations, and certified nonprofits. Applications are limited to one project in one category (tree planting or tree management), and all funds must be utilized on publicly owned land or community open space. Grant recipients must also provide a 50-50 cost-share match, which can be met through a combination of volunteer labor, donated materials and services, or cash from non-federal sources. This year's application deadline is March 2, 2018. Winners will be notified by April 2.

Volunteers of all ages are needed this month to help plant 8,800 hardwood seedlings along the Cypress Branch at Blackbird State Forest to enhance the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The planting will take place on Saturday, March 17, and Sunday, March 18, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day at Blackbird State Forest’s Naudain Tract, 2076 Harvey Straughn Road, Townsend, Delaware 19734. The weekend tree planting is a “rain or shine” event. Equipment, including shovels, will be provided. Volunteers are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather and wear boots or other work shoes. Snacks will be provided and commemorative T-shirts and patches will be given to both youth and adult volunteers on a first-come, first-served basis. The project is a cooperative partnership between the Delaware Forest Service, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) Division of Watershed Stewardship, and the Girl Scouts of the USA.

More than $20,000 in grants is now available to help volunteer fire companies fight wildfires in their communities. The Delaware Forest Service's Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants are designed to help fire companies purchase the specialized equipment needed to meet the unpredictable threat of wildfires in fields, forests, open spaces, and marshes. Applicants can request up to $4500 per year. Funds can be used to acquire items such as ¾-inch to 1-½ inch forestry hose, safety gear, brush unit pumps/skids, and hand tools. All grants require a 50-50 cost-share match in cash or in-kind services and priority will be given to applicants that have not received funding in the past three years. Last year, seven volunteer fire companies received $23,020 through the VFA grant program to purchase wildfire suppression equipment.

When a new shellfish grower recently placed his first shipment of tiny oysters in growing cages in Rehoboth Bay, it marked the physical start of Delaware’s shellfish aquaculture program administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Division of Fish & Wildlife.

More than 127,000 acres of Delaware farmland are now permanently preserved for future generations, with the purchase of the development rights of 41 farms totaling 3,534 acres. This is the 22nd consecutive year of easement selections by the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation.

Online tool helps Delawareans understand, visualize farmland preserved in all three counties DOVER, Del. – Governor John Carney and the Delaware Department of Agriculture announced on Thursday a new, interactive dashboard to help Delawareans better understand farmland preservation. Delaware’s statewide program made its first round of easement purchases in 1996, and has since preserved 22 […]

For the first time, the Delaware Forest Service (DFS) will issue turkey hunting permits through a separate lottery for the 2019 spring season. Previously, statewide permits were available only through DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. The 2019 Delaware turkey hunting season runs for four consecutive weeks from Saturday, April 13 to Saturday, May 11, with a special youth and non-ambulatory disabled hunter day scheduled for Saturday, April 6.  State forest turkey permits will be issued for one of four season segments: A (4/13-4/19), B (4/20-4/26), C (4/27-5/3), or D (5/4-5/11).

Twenty wildland firefighters from Delaware are battling the Copper Mountain Fire, a 180-acre blaze located four miles east of Eastport, Idaho on the Canadian border that is 20% contained as of August 12. Delaware's crew comprises part of  the 137 personnel currently assigned to the incident.  Michael A. Valenti of Dover, Delaware's state forester and crew boss for the team, reports that firefighters are working in rough terrain and completing very long hikes to and from the fire each day. 

After a year-long community planning process led by the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA), the newly formed Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy will facilitate access to resources that will allow all Delawareans to circumvent challenges associated with securing nutritious and local food options, minimizing deficiency and vulnerability within communities, and achieving healthy lifestyles. The Council will advise Delaware’s Secretary of Agriculture on policy, project development, resource priorities, and implementation strategies to achieve its goal.

Dover, Del. – Delaware farmers, between 18 and 40 years old have the opportunity to apply for the Young Farmers Loan Program through October 31. The program provides long-term, no-interest loans to help eligible farmers purchase land, reducing the financial impact on farmers just starting out or looking to expand. “This year was extremely important […]

The Delaware Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Program will hold its 8th Annual Delaware Arborist and Tree Care Seminar on Wednesday, October 10, and Thursday, October 11, 2018 at the Delaware State Fair Exhibit Hall, 18500 S. DuPont Highway, Harrington. The event offers a wide range of topics for tree care workers as well as anyone who wants to ensure the health of their community trees. The event brings together a diverse blend of industry insiders, policymakers, tree care experts, and academic researchers who will incorporate classroom lectures, outdoor demonstrations and vendor exhibits to provide the latest updates on tree health issues and practical hands-on training. Attendees are eligible to earn continuing credits from the International Society of Arboriculture, Maryland Licensed Tree Expert, and Delaware pesticide certification.  The cost is $95 for two days with breakfast, lunch and snacks included each day. All major credit cards accepted. Attendees can sign up by clicking the “Online Registration” icon at http://delawaretrees.com

The spotted lanternfly found in Kent County last week hitched a ride down to Dover where she was found dead and reported by a local citizen. “When you look at the Dover find, there are a few key points that help classify this specimen as a hitchhiker,” said Hauss.

The Office of the State Veterinarian announced today Delaware’s fourth and fifth cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) found in horses in 2018. Three previous cases of WNV in horses were reported in 2018, two in August and one in September. Even though we are nearing the end of the mosquito season, the State Veterinarian urges horse owners to contact their veterinarians as soon as possible to have horses and other equines vaccinated against WNV and EEE. Neither disease has a specific drug treatment, and EEE infections in horses are fatal in 70 to 90 percent of cases, and WNV in 30 percent of cases.

Emerald ash borer (EAB), a destructive insect from Asia that attacks and kills ash trees, has been confirmed at two additional sites in Delaware: one near Middletown, New Castle County, and another near Seaford, Sussex County. Originally found in northern Delaware in 2016, the new detections create added urgency for homeowners and municipalities to determine if they have ash trees on their property and decide on possible management options. Current guidelines recommend the removal or treatment of ash trees if located within 15 miles of a known infestation. Because Delaware is geographically small and EAB can go undetected for years, residents are urged to educate themselves now and take action. For the latest information from Delaware's Department of Agriculture, residents are urged to go to de.gov/ashtrees

The Delaware Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Program is offering grants up to $5,000 for tree planting projects on public land or to help communities complete a professional tree inventory. The competitive grants – open to all municipalities, homeowner associations, and certified 501(c)(3) non-profits in the State of Delaware – require a 50-50 match in either cash (non-federal funds) or in-kind services, which includes volunteer or staff time, equipment rental, or supplies. Applications will be judged on a competitive basis by a grant committee of the Delaware Community Forestry Council. Eligible projects must be performed on public lands within the community. Priority will be given to first time applicants, Tree Friendly Communities, and applicants that have passed an Urban Tree Canopy Goal Resolution (only applies to Municipalities). Complete details at https://delawaretrees.com.

Dr. Robin Morgan was recognized Thursday evening at the 48th Delaware Agricultural Industry Dinner with the Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service to Delaware Agriculture for her commitment to agriculture through education, research, and encouraging the next generation of agriculturalists.

Dover, Del. – The Delaware Department of Agriculture announced today that they have launched the Delaware Hemp Research Pilot Program in partnership with Delaware State University’s College of Agriculture and Related Sciences. “The research component announced today gives producers an opportunity to see if hemp is a worthwhile product for their farming operation,” said Secretary […]

The Delaware Department of Agriculture announced today that they are seeking applications for this year’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, with nearly $359,000 allocated to assist in increasing the competitiveness of Delaware-grown specialty crops. Applications will be accepted through April 22, 2019.

Ellie Merrick, a 5th-grader at Southern Delaware School of the Arts in Selbyville, has been named the State Winner of the Delaware Forest Service's 2019 Arbor Day Poster Contest. This year’s theme – “Trees Are Terrific…in Cities and Towns!” – was chosen to highlight the benefits of trees in our communities. Almost 100 years before Earth Day, Arbor Day was established on April 10, 1872 by J. Sterling Morton in Nebraska City, Nebraska. It is believed more than one million trees were planted on the first Arbor Day. In Delaware, Arbor Day is traditionally celebrated on the last Friday in April, which falls on April 26, 2019. This year, the Delaware Forest Service will help Dover celebrate its 30th Anniversary as a Tree City USA by planting more than 30 trees at parks and streets throughout the city.

The Delaware Urban and Community Forestry Program has awarded more than $92,000 for 24 tree projects throughout the First State. Over the past 15 years, the annual grant program has provided more than $1.5 million to help communities increase tree canopy and promote the natural benefits of trees: cleaner air and water, increased property values and civic pride, and reduced storm water runoff and flooding.

Governor John Carney announced that more than 134,000 acres of Delaware farmland are now permanently preserved for future generations. This is the 23rd consecutive year of easement selections by the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation. Many of the farms in this round would not have been preserved without matching funds from multiple sources, including the […]

DOVER, Del. – The Delaware Aglands Foundation Board announced that they will institute a rolling application process for their Young Farmer Loan Program to offer young farmers more flexibility in acquiring a farm. Delaware farmers, between 18 and 40 years old have the opportunity to apply for the Young Farmers Loan Program. The program provides […]

DOVER, Del. — A recent increase in severe deer damage to agricultural crops on two portions of Redden State Forest in Sussex County has created public deer harvest opportunities to assist local farmers. Through a partnership with DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife, the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is opening specific portions of […]

DOVER, Del. – The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) announced today that they expanded the spotted lanternfly quarantine to include all portions of New Castle County north of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. This is due to recent detections of established populations outside of the initial quarantine zone enacted in February 2019 that included eleven […]

The Delaware Department of Agriculture has partnered with the Delaware Electric Cooperative to launch a new irrigation grant program to help Delaware farmers install environmentally friendly irrigation systems.

Today’s announcement that China has made the decision to lift its ban on poultry imports is welcomed news for Delmarva poultry producers.

 Settlement and Default Handling Procedures in Multilateral and Deferred Net Settlement Systems under the PSS Act, 2007

 Permissible period for remittance of e-payments into Government account by Public Sector Banks

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