The Delaware Forest Service plans to conduct a prescribed fire on 74 acres west of U.S. Route 113 near the Town of Frankford, Sussex County. The burning could begin as early as Monday, October 27, though officials estimate the date might be closer to mid-week. The actual date of ignition will depend on local weather and fuel conditions.

Bernice and Douglas Moore were honored as Delaware Tree Farmers of the Year at the annual meeting of the Delaware Forestry Association on March 12 in Felton. The Moores were recognized for their continuous commitment to sustainable forest management and stewardship planning, as well as extensive engagement in forestry education and outreach. Their 102-acre property near Georgetown has been a certified Tree Farm since 1993. On hand to present a proclamation from the Delaware General Assembly were Reps. David L. Wilson (R-35) and Harvey R. Kenton (R-36). Governor Markell also sent a video message to congratulate the Moores for their accomplishment.

Governor Markell shares his highlights from Governor’s Day at the 2015 Delaware State Fair.

The Delaware Forest Service has dispatched a 20-person wildfire crew to help fight a wave of lightning-caused wildfires around Hayfork, California in the area of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. California has declared a state of emergency and the Northern California Region is now at a maximum Preparedness Level of 5 on a 5-point scale. Delaware's team is part of almost 1,500 personnel on the Fork Complex Fire, a group of blazes totaling more than 25,000 acres near Hayfork, CA that is only 5 percent contained.

A team of 20 wildland firefighters under the direction of the Delaware Forest Service is working with 1,165 personnel currently battling the Fork Complex, a group of lightning-caused fires near Hayfork, California that totals 11,862 acres but is only 7 percent contained. Kyle Hoyd, the Delaware Forest Service's assistant forestry administrator, summarized the crew's effort: "We did a burnout with two engine teams on the Peak Fire off of a dozer line and put hand line around several structures in the same area." Earlier in the week, Hoyd reported that "everyone is doing well" but the "fire is in steep terrain with multiple hazards."

A wildfire crew led by the Delaware Forest Service is near completion of a two-week assignment on the Fork Complex Fire, a 28,736-acre blaze near Hayfork, California in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. Almost 2,400 personnel are battling the fire that is currently 26 percent contained. The Fork Complex is one of several large wildfires in Northern California that together cover more than 223,000 acres, one of the major factors that prompted the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) to increase its National Preparedness Level today to the maximum of 5 on a 5-point scale.

Governor Markell joined state officials and members of the General Assembly to honor the winners of the Delaware Forest Service's annual Arbor Day Poster Contest, recognize the City of Dover as the First State's longest-running Tree City USA, and honor Delmarva Power as a Tree Line USA utility and for its volunteer work in underwriting the cost of Arbor Day observances throughout the state.

Delaware’s wildland fire crew is returning to the First State after successfully battling wildfires in Colorado and Wyoming. The Delaware Forest Service dispatched the firefighters to Colorado on July 25. Their first assignment was assisting Colorado’s Bureau of Land Management on the 492-acre Milk Fire near Craig, Colorado. Next, they were sent by the Rocky Mountain Geographic Area Coordination Center to the 1,287-acre Tokewanna Fire near Mountain View, Wyoming. Finally, on August 4, they were dispatched to the 12,276-acre Whit Fire, located east of Yellowstone National Park near Cody, Wyoming.

After two weeks of battling wildfires in the rugged terrain of Idaho, a Delaware wildfire crew is returning to Blackbird State Forest on September 11 at approximately 8 a.m. The team was dispatched by the Delaware Forest Service on August 25 at a time when the National Fire Preparedness Level was 4 on a 5-point scale. Over the past 14 days, the team battled the 52,972-acre Henry’s Creek Fire near Idaho Falls and the 1260-acre Grape Creek Fire, located 6 miles southwest of Elba, Idaho.

Dover-area poultry farmer Georgie Cartanza is the first American to receive a Nuffield International Scholarship, one of 90 farmers from around the world to participate in the global agricultural scholarship program.

WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney on Friday released the following statement commending Delaware Forest Service’s wildfire crew prior to the mobilization of the 20-person team that will battle wildfires in the Rocky Mountain region. “Delaware’s wildfire crew is a group of well-trained volunteers and public servants who will leave the safety and comfort of […]

Governor John C. Carney, Jr. and Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Delaware Forest Service and honored the wildfire crew that just returned from two weeks battling blazes in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. The crew, which left the First State on July 8 and returned on July 23, first tackled the 700-acre Wilson Fire near Meeker, Colorado – started by lightning on July 7. The firefighters then moved on to the Grizzly Fire before finishing up on the Dragon Fire – located just south of Rangely, Colorado. Delaware’s team included 17 state and federal firefighters from Delaware and three from West Virginia. "The Forest Service has done unbelievable work over 90 years," Governor Carney told the audience. "As we celebrate 98 years of the Delaware State Fair, we've got a lot of other milestones that are happening, including the recognition of Delaware's state forestry service for 90 years of operation and their tremendous work."

In the scam, the homeowner is told that they must leave their house for a period of twelve hours while the individual sprays crops in the nearby vicinity. There are some indicators that these visits are a scam in an attempt to get the homeowner to leave their house unattended. There are currently no agricultural pesticide spraying practices in Delaware that would require one to leave their home.

The spotted lanternfly - a destructive, invasive plant hopper - has been confirmed in New Castle County. This insect is a potential threat to several important agricultural crops including grapes, apples, peaches, and lumber. State plant health and forestry officials are providing information, fact sheets, photographs, and links to other resources at de.gov/hitchhikerbug. Early detection is vital for the protection of Delaware businesses and agriculture.

Amelia Meyer, a fifth-grader at the Southern Delaware School of the Arts in Selbyville, is the overall winner of the Delaware Forest Service's 2018 Arbor Day School Poster Contest, beating out entries from more than 3,200 students in 43 classes from virtually every school district. This year's theme - “Trees Are Terrific…and Perfect for Pollinators!” - was chosen to highlight the important role of trees in the health of pollinators such as bees and butterflies. The annual contest is open to grades K to 5 in all Delaware private, public, charter, and home schools. Winners were selected from each county in the following grades: K, 1-2, 3-4, and 5. Posters were evaluated on originality, use of theme, neatness, and artistic expression.

Governor John C. Carney, Jr. presided over the Delaware Forest Service's 2018 Arbor Day Celebration at DNERR St. Jones Reserve in Dover on Friday, May 4. Joined by Rep. Harvey Kenton, Rep. David Wilson, Agriculture Secretary Michael T. Scuse, and DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin, Governor Carney honored the winners of the Delaware Forest Service's Arbor Day School Poster Contest, including Statewide Winner Amelia Meyer of Southern Delaware School of the Arts in Selbyville. The 2018 poster contest theme was "Trees are Terrific... and Perfect for Pollinators!" The Governor also recognized representatives from some of Delaware's 17 Tree City USA communities, including Dover Air Force Base and Arden. The event culminated with the planting of two new hawthorn trees, part of a new "science garden" at the reserve, in keeping the 2018 poster contest theme and its focus on pollinators.

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 […]

Ashley Melvin, the Delaware Forest Service's education specialist who directs its successful Smokey Bear fire prevention program, received a Gold Smokey Award in Ohio recently at an annual meeting of state foresters. The award was presented to the Mid-Atlantic Interstate Forest Fire Protection Compact's education committee, of which Delaware is a member. The compact is comprised of seven states including Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. In the world of wildfire prevention, there is no greater honor than to receive a Smokey Bear award, especially the national Gold Smokey award. These special awards are reserved for people or organizations that provide sustained, outstanding service, with significant program impact, in the wildfire prevention arena. Honorees demonstrate innovation, creativity, commitment and passion for wildfire prevention.

Shawn Patrick Mitchell of Greenwood, a recent graduate of Sussex Tech who plans to study wildlife and fisheries at Frostburg State University, received the Delaware Forestry Association's 2018 scholarship at the Delaware State Fair last week. Agriculture Secretary Michael T. Scuse and Governor John C. Carney were there to present the ceremonial check to Mitchell as his parents David and Melissa looked on. Once he earns his bachelor's of science degree, Mitchell hopes to be a game warden or park ranger one day.

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.

Delaware Harness Racing Commission Executive Director, Mark Davis announced today that the Commission has named Brian Manges, Presiding Judge, and two Associate Judges, Norman Short and Brent McLaren, to the judges’ stand.

A controlled burn on a 43-acre former farm field along U.S. Route 301 will provide fertile ground for "Delaware's first pollinator mitigation site" - where state officials hope native wildflowers will flourish to restore lost habitat for pollinators such as bees and birds. The Delaware Forest Service  conducted the successful firing operation on March 20 in cooperation DelDOT and DNREC's Division of Fish and Wildlife, which supplied valuable personnel, logistical support, and equipment. Thanks to favorable weather conditions and DelDOT lane adjustments on U.S. 301 North, the four-hour burn caused minimal disruptions to traffic and virtually no smoke effects on the adjacent Spring Mill housing development.

DOVER, Del. – The steady increase in daily temperatures has spurred spotted lanternfly nymphs to hatch out of their egg masses. While the hatching will continue for the next few weeks, this causes concern for businesses, residents, and the agriculture industry because this notorious hitchhiker will be on the move. “From the time we enacted […]

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 […]

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

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