8/1/2007
Volume 37, Number 279
Division of Fish and Wildlife

Contact: Shelley Tovell-DiBona, Private Lands Assistance Program, phone: (302) 735-3600
or Melanie Rapp, Public Affairs, phone: (302) 739-9902

DNREC’s Fish and Wildlife Division Receives $527,608 in Federal Funds to Help Delaware Landowners Conserve Natural Habitats

A federal grant of $527,608 awarded to DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will enable Delaware landowners to conserve natural habitats. The funds are earmarked to the division’s Private Lands Assistance Program that provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners to protect, restore and enhance wildlife habitats.

“The funds will ultimately benefit Delaware wildlife species of greatest conservation need,” said Shelly Tovell-DiBona, program coordinator. “Through projects that restore and protect the habitats of wildlife, such as bog turtles, grassland birds and Delmarva fox squirrels, landowners make important contributions in helping manage key wildlife habitats identified in Delaware’s Wildlife Action Plan.”

Delaware was one of seventeen states awarded federal funding in July through the competitive grant process. The funds will be used for on the ground habitat restoration, specifically grassland habitat restoration, reforestation, wetland enhancement, invasive species control and upland habitat protection. Funds will be available to private landowners in winter 2008.

Delaware’s Private Lands Assistance Program targets habitat restoration for species of greatest conservation need. Through it, DNREC’s biologists meet with landowners to discuss how they can improve wildlife habitat on their property. Projects range from creating habitat for grassland nesting birds to controlling invasive species in bog turtle habitats. Biologists can also help landowners develop wildlife habitat plans and provide information on available conservation programs.

“More than 80 percent of Delaware’s lands are privately-owned,” continued Tovell-DiBona. “A landowner can make a tremendous difference in preventing habitat loss and degradation and help ensure wildlife’s survival for future generations.”

For more information, visit DNREC’s web site, www.fw.delaware.gov and click on “Wildlife” and “Private Lands Assistance Program” or contact Shelley Tovell-DiBona, program coordinator, at 302-735-3600.

The Delaware Wildlife Action Plan is a comprehensive strategy for conserving the full array of native wildlife and habitats – common and uncommon – as vital components of the state’s natural resources. DNREC’s Division of Fish and Wildlife plays a lead role in its continued development and in coordinating implementation. Together with conservation partners, the division aims to keep species common and to prevent species from being listed as endangered. To view the Delaware Wildlife Action Plan, visit DNREC’s website, www.fw.delaware.gov and click on “Wildlife” and “Delaware Wildlife Action Plan.” For more information, contact Karen Bennett, program administrator, at 302-739-9912.

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