DNREC Warns About Fraudulent Emails, Phone Calls

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is asking businesses and organizations that currently hold or are applying for DNREC permits to watch for fraudulent emails and phone calls from people impersonating DNREC staff and requesting payment of permit and licensing fees.

Recent scam emails and calls have falsely told recipients that a permit application requires an additional fee or that a permit holder is behind on fee payments. Some fraudulent emails include real permit application numbers, fee amounts and staff names, which were likely taken from DNREC public notices. However, any attempt to solicit money from DNREC via email or telephone for licenses or permits is a scamming attempt, since those transactions are legitimately conducted either online via the DNREC website, or in person at DNREC offices across the state, including Delaware State Parks.

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General Firearms Deer Hunting Season To Open in Delaware

Some Delaware deer hunters go for big bucks such as this one, others go afield for venison, but whatever their intent, the odds are good that many hunters will be harvesting a white-tailed deer during the state’s general firearms season that begins its 10-day run Friday, Nov. 13. Typically, 40% of all deer taken during Delaware’s five-month deer season are harvested during the general firearms season. /U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service photo

The November general firearms season, Delaware’s most popular and bountiful deer hunting season, opens this year on Friday, Nov. 13 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 22. While Delaware’s statewide deer hunting season spans five months, from Sept. 1 through Jan. 31, this 10-day season typically accounts for about 40% of the state’s deer harvest.

Due to the detection of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in Delaware for the first time, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) has established a Chronic Wasting Disease Management Zone (CMZ) for the 2026-27 season. The CMZ includes Wildlife Management Zones 11, 14 and 16.

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Fall Hunting in Maryland is Underway

Cleary’s Notebook Hunting News

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Fall Hunting is Underway in Maryland!November means deer hunting – Maryland’s 2026 Junior Deer Hunt opens November 14 and Maryland’s two-week firearms season begins Nov. 28. Also this month, Maryland offers the first of two special waterfowl hunting day for youth, veterans, and military personnel on Nov. 7, and rabbit season opens Nov. 8.Regulations, seasons, and bag limits can be found in the online Hunting and Trapping Guide for 2026-27.Visit MD Outdoors to purchase your 2026-27 hunting license.Also, you can still order our Limited Edition MD250 Hard Card, only available this year.

Illustration of various Maryland species and outdoor activities

‘Outdoors Maryland’ Debuts New Season on MPT

Woman hiker on a rocky outcrop with Outdoors Maryland title over image

Maryland Public Television’s award-winning original series Outdoors Maryland returns for its 38th season on Tuesday, November 10 with the first of two new fall episodes. Produced in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Outdoors Maryland continues to captivate viewers with memorable stories and compelling photography.

This season offers a rare glimpse DNR biologists surveying black bears in Western Maryland, conservationists working to restore the blackbanded sunfish to our waters, important Black history hidden in the woods of the new Freedman’s State Park, and miuch more.

Outdoors Maryland airs on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. on MPT and online at mpt.org/livestream, with encore broadcasts on Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. Episodes are available to watch

Maryland Fishing Report – Nov.4

Maryland Fishing Report is written and compiled by Keith Lockwood

Cleary’s Hunting & Fishing News

Franklin Roloson was out fishing on Liberty Reservoir on Halloween and no tricks were experienced, just a wonderful treat in the form of this 17-inch crappie. Photo courtesy of Franklin Roloson

The calendar says November, but Maryland is still experiencing some mild weather – all the better to enjoy fishing surrounded by beautiful fall colors.

Forecast Summary: November 4 – November 10

Main Bay surface and river mouth water temperatures are holding in the low 60s. Temperatures in smaller rivers and streams are hovering in the low to mid 50s. Currently there is adequate oxygen in most Bay bottom waters. Due to the continued dry conditions, Bay salinities are running higher than normal throughout Maryland waters.

Expect average flows for most Maryland rivers and streams. Expect average clarity for most Maryland portions of the Bay and rivers. To see the latest water clarity conditions on NOAA satellite maps, check Eyes on the Bay Satellite Maps. There will be above average tidal currents Thursday through the rest of the week because of the new moon on November 9.

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Delaware Residents Invited to Share PFAS Concerns at Nov. 18 Virtual Listening Session

Delaware residents are invited to share their concerns, experiences and recommendations about per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during a virtual public listening session at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18.

PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals used since the 1940s in products such as nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics and some firefighting foams. They break down very slowly and can accumulate in people and the environment. Exposure to some PFAS has been linked to health problems.

The session will provide an opportunity for community members to offer feedback on Delaware’s PFAS Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan, which outlines the state’s efforts to address PFAS contamination, reduce exposure and protect public health. Participants are encouraged to review both published plans, available at de.gov/pfas, ahead of the session to help inform their questions, comments and recommendations.

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Delaware State Parks Offers Free Admission Day

Delaware State Parks is celebrating its 75th anniversary by waiving daily park entrance fees on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. All visitors are invited to enjoy the following state parks:

Alapocas Run, Auburn Valley, Brandywine Creek, Cape Henlopen, Delaware Seashore, Fenwick Island, First State Heritage, Fort Dupont, Fox Point, Holts Landing, Killens Pond, Lums Pond, Trap Pond, White Clay Creek and Wilmington State Parks on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.

All state parks will participate with the exceptions of Fort Delaware State Park, which is closed, and the Brandywine Zoo. The waiver applies to daily park entrance fees only. Other program and activity fees may apply. With schools closed for elections, the day will provide a great opportunity for families to head outdoors to enjoy fall colors, explore a trail or discover a new favorite park.

DNREC’s Weatherization Assistance Program

Did you know the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control can help you save potentially hundreds of dollars on your energy bills annually while protecting your home from the elements and keeping you more comfortable?

DNREC’s Weatherization Assistance Program has for years helped lower-income households reduce their electricity, heating and water heating costs, lowering their bill from 10% to 40% or even more. And the best part is it comes at no cost to income-verified applicants.

Essentially, the program connects Delawareans with certified contractors and energy specialists who will walk through their residence, determine ways they can save energy and then make improvements like adding insulation to their homes, weatherstripping doors and sealing HVAC ducts. These changes help keep the air conditioning in during summer and the heat in during winter, while steps like utilizing more efficient light bulbs save energy.

So, how exactly does the program work and how might you be able to benefit?

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DNRP Gathering Toys for Tots Donations

DNRP will continue its tradition this year of collecting unwrapped, new toys for families in need in Delaware/Delaware DNREC photo

The Delaware Natural Resources Police (DNRP) are collecting donated toys ahead of the upcoming giving season for families in need in all three counties beginning Nov. 1. Donations will be distributed as gifts to children in communities statewide through the local branch of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program.

The national program collects new, unwrapped toys, for all age groups of children, and distributes them as holiday presents to underprivileged kids in communities across the country. In the First State, DNRP officers from each of the three units – Fish and Wildlife, Environmental Crimes, and State Parks – lead this holiday effort, with donation boxes at Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) locations statewide.

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Delaware State Parks Plant 75,000 Trees to Honor 75th Anniversary

DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson joins staff and partners in planting the 75,000th tree in Delaware State Parks at Trap Pond State Park as part of A Tree for Every Delawarean. / DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation

Delaware State Parks planted a Liberty Tree at Trap Pond State Park as its 75,000th tree to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first state park as well as the 250th milestone of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is one of three state agencies participating in A Tree for Every Delawarean (TEDI), with a goal of planting one million new trees, one for every resident in the state, by 2030. As part of its 2021-2026 Strategic Plan, the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation committed to add 75,000 trees at Delaware State Parks by the end of 2026, and the American holly (the state tree) was provided a place of honor in 16 of the 17 state parks as a Liberty Tree. The last tree was planted near the Bob Trail by the causeway at Trap Pond on Oct. 19.

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DNREC Awards $523,000 in Grants

The Lenape Tribe used CEPF funds to remove invasive trees, mitigate erosion, and initiate reforestation at the Deerfield Property, a brownfield site due to its former use as a police shooting range. The tribe can now access natural areas on this historic property. /Delaware DNREC photo

Twelve Delaware community projects will receive a total of $523,179 in 2027 from grants awarded through the Community Environmental Project Fund (CEPF), administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. The CEPF supports projects that mitigate pollution, enhance the environment and create recreational opportunities for affected communities.

By state law, DNREC withholds a portion of the money collected through fines and penalties for environmental violations and returns it to communities where the violations occurred. CEPF grants are competitively awarded to organizations for community environmental projects.

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