Delaware's three-person Type 6 engine crew is now fighting the 2,000-acre Dexter Fire in the Inyo National Forest of southern California. Reported on July 12, the lightning-caused blaze is actively burning in brush and timber with only 13 percent containment. Leading the crew is the Delaware Forest Service's southern regional forester and engine boss Erich Burkentine of Milton, along with engine boss trainee Nikki Testa of Newark, and firefighter Hunter Melson of Milford. The crew mobilized on July 13 and is scheduled for a 21-day assignment. Delaware's crew is facing high temperatures, low relative humidity, and gusty afternoon winds on the Dexter Fire as they are conducting initial attack, digging fire line, and felling trees.

Delaware announced its 25th consecutive round of easement selections by the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation. With the preservation of 3,695 acres, Delaware has permanently preserved more than 143,000 acres of farmland for future generations.

Delaware's Type 2IA wildfire crew is headed to the Northern Rockies to join the national firefighting effort. The team of 20 firefighters departed Blackbird State Forest and is traveling by ground transportation to Montana for an eventual assignment in that region. This is the crew’s first assignment of 2021. Last year, Delaware sent a 20-person crew to fight blazes in Arizona and California. Delaware's team is a mix of veterans and rookies, drawn from both public agencies and the private sector, who completed their certification by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. After four days of travel, the crew will complete a planned 14-day assignment before returning to the First State.

The Delaware Forest Service is awarding more than $40,000 in matching grants to 14 volunteer fire companies to provide tools and equipment to fight wildfires throughout the First State. The VFA Grant program is open to all Delaware volunteer fire departments and can provide up to $4,500 in matching grants to acquire pumps, hoses, and equipment to respond to and suppress wildfires. Since its inception, more than $400,000 has been given to enhance wildfire response in the First State.

Delaware's "Diamond State" Type 2IA crew is part of more than 200 personnel fighting the Harris Mountain Fire in Cascade County, Montana. Located in difficult and rugged terrain, the blaze was started by lightning on July 23 and is currently 19,103 acres in size. Managed by a Type 2 Incident Management Team (IMT), the fire is expanding in all directions and burning actively in deep drainages. Multiple crews, engines, dozers, water tenders and air resources are providing structure protection.  The Type 2IA crew from the First State is led by the Delaware Forest Service's Sam Topper and consists of 20 volunteer firefighters from the public and private sector. The group departed Blackbird State Forest on July 21 and will serve a 14-day assignment before returning to Delaware.

Delaware's wildfire crew continues to battle the Harris Mountain Fire in the steep, rocky and mountainous terrain south of Cascade, Montana. The 31,345-acre blaze is currently 20 percent contained, with almost 300 personnel under a Type 2 Incident Management Team from the Northern Rockies to bring it under control According to crew boss Sam Topper, Delaware's 20-person Type 2IA crew has been constructing hotline on a critical piece of Division Z and has been working to keep the fire out of the head of Novak Creek. The crew has only four more shifts remaining before returning to the First State next week. The group departed Blackbird State Forest on July 21 and is serving a 14-day assignment. Delaware also has a new Type 6 engine crew fighting the Cedar Creek Fire, currently 52,030 acres and 25% percent contained, located in Washington’s Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest.  The team of three firefighters is led by the Delaware Forest Service’s Todd Gsell and includes Todd Shaffer of Maryland and Andy Ney of Felton.

Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse urges producers across Delaware to participate in USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) upcoming Agricultural Labor Survey scheduled for release in mid-October. The survey will collect information about hired labor from nearly 90 Delaware farmers.

A steady downward trend over the past five years in the landowner discounts of permanent agricultural conservation easements selected for purchase in Delaware shows it’s a great time for landowners to preserve their farms.

Dozens of arborists and professionals from three Delaware tree care companies volunteered for the 7th Annual "Saluting Branches" event by devoting a day to trimming, shaping, and removing hazardous trees from the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Millsboro. The Delaware site was one of 40 sites throughout the United States that participated in the event, which attracted more than 3,000 volunteers. Workers from Tri-State Tree Care, Complete Tree Care, and Cypress Tree Care spent their entire day as a way to pay tribute to the veterans and their service.

Smokey Bear joined Dover Mayor Robin Christiansen, the Dover Volunteer Fire Department, and the Delaware Forest Service to celebrate "National Fire Prevention Week" at the Dover Public Library's Songs and Stories event for young children and their families. Governor John C. Carney, Jr. has proclaimed the week of October 3 to 9, 2021 as "Fire Prevention Week in Delaware" and " to urge all citizens to thank community firefighters, familiarize themselves with the smoke alarms in their home, develop a home fire escape plan, and participate in efforts to prevent fire situations."

Public invited to enter trees they plant in new TEDI tracker NEW CASTLE, Del. – Governor John Carney on Tuesday launched a new program that aims to plant a tree for every Delawarean as part of the state’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This initiative was originally announced in Governor Carney’s 2020 State of […]

$2M in seed funding to stabilize and strengthen family farms and local food supply chain operations WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney, the Delaware Department of Agriculture, and the Delaware Council on Farm and Food Policy on Thursday announced a $2 million investment in seed funding to establish the First State Integrated Food System Program. This new […]

Today, the Delaware Department of Agriculture announced that Delaware farmers’ markets had nearly $3.16 million in sales in 2021. As the second-highest sales year on record for Delaware’s farmers’ markets, 2021 has proven demand for buying locally grown products is strong among residents and visitors to the state.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a proposed rule change on December 6, 2021, to amend the agricultural water requirements of the Produce Safety Rule. In response to the proposed change, the Delaware Department of Agriculture and University of Delaware Cooperative Extension will host two outreach sessions on January 21, 2022, to engage farmers and other stakeholders.

The Delaware Forest Service is now seeking entries for its annual Arbor Day Poster Contest, open to all K-5 public, private, homeschool, after-school, and other organized youth groups. The deadline to register is March 9, with entries submitted by April 1. Posters will be judged on originality, use of theme, neatness, and artistic expression. Each winner receives a gift card, a tree-themed book, and a tree planting at their school.  Twelve winners will be selected, one from each county in four grade categories: kindergarten, grades 1 and 2, grades 3 and 4, and grade 5. All participating classes receive free loblolly pine seedlings delivered to their school, just in time to celebrate Arbor Day!

The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) today issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the 2022 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The federal Farm Bill is allotting approximately $320,000 through a competitive grant process to fund innovative projects supporting specialty crops and creating new and better markets for the Delaware specialty crop industry. DDA will accept applications through March 25, 2022.

DOVER, Del. (February 23, 2022) – Testing has confirmed a case of avian influenza on a Delaware poultry farm that showed increased mortality over the past few days. Following an investigation by the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory has confirmed poultry from this farm have tested positive […]

Federal laboratory testing has confirmed two cases of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI)—one in New Castle County, Delaware, and one in Queen Anne’s County, Maryland. These avian influenza findings follow previously announced cases on farms in New Castle County, Delaware, and Cecil County, Maryland.

Federal laboratory testing has confirmed a highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI) case in a commercial broiler farm in Kent County, Delaware. Following an investigation by the Delaware Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed poultry from this farm tested positive for highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI).

WILMINGTON, Del. – Today, 30 food and agriculture groups released the sixth annual Feeding the Economy report, a historic farm-to-fork economic analysis revealing how these sectors influence the local and broader United States economies. Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s study highlights how the industries remained resilient to provide Americans with jobs, economic opportunity, and safe […]

 Gov. John Carney joined Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Shawn M. Garvin, Department of Agriculture Secretary Michael T. Scuse and volunteers April 11 to plant trees on farmland recently acquired by DNREC’s Division of Parks and Recreation for Killens Pond State Park. Pictured, from left to right, STRIVE program student Richard […]

Lilly Bartlett, a fifth-grader from Allen Frear Elementary School in Camden, is the overall winner of the Delaware Forest Service's annual Arbor Day School Poster Contest. This year's competition attracted almost 9,500 entries from more than 75 schools. The theme – "Trees Are Terrific…for Today and Tomorrow!" – highlights the long-lasting impact of planting a tree and the many benefits it provides for the future. Since 1872, Arbor Day has been observed as a special day to plant trees and celebrate their many benefits!  2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the first Arbor Day in Nebraska. The complete gallery of winners is at de.gov/arbordaypostercontest

To kick off Earth Week and National Volunteer Week, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) hosted its 2022 DNREC Volunteer Awards ceremony Monday in Brandywine Park, Wilmington, alongside a Tree for Every Delawarean Initiative (TEDI) planting by Jobs for Delaware Graduates (JDG) youth volunteers.

Beginning on April 29, 2022, the Delaware Council on Farm & Food Policy will accept grant applications through the First State Food System Program for projects to enable local entities to address challenges, stabilize, strengthen, and build resilience in our food system.

Governor John C. Carney, Jr. celebrated the 150th Anniversary of Arbor Day at Rehoboth Elementary School by spotlighting his “Tree for Every Delawarean Initiative” in a ceremony attended by members of the General Assembly, state and local officials, schoolchildren, and their families. Governor Carney recognized two of Delaware’s 14 Tree City USA communities – the City of Rehoboth Beach for 31 years and Dover Air Force Base for 30 years – and also honored student winners in the annual Arbor Day School Poster Contest. The event culminated with the planting of 10 new native trees on the school campus. Photos at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjzNDjt

Governor Carney, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Nikko Brady, and state legislators honored four Delaware farm families for their commitment to keeping farmland within the family for 100 years.

Five years after the first confirmed spotted lanternfly was found in New Castle County in 2017, the spotted lanternfly has made its way to Sussex County, creating a statewide quarantine for this invasive pest.

West Nile Virus (WNV) has been detected in Delaware the first time for 2022 in a sentinel chicken, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced today.

During a stop at the Delaware Agriculture Education & Commodities Building at the Delaware State Fair, Governor John Carney announced an additional 3,827 acres on 54 farms are now permanently preserved for future generations.

The Delaware Forest Service mobilized a 19-person wildfire crew from Blackbird State Forest to northern California. The crew will travel cross-country to join other wildfire crews to battle blazes as the number of wildfires in the area continue to grow, sparked by hot, dry, and windy weather combined with an unstable atmosphere, creating lightning-caused fires.

On September 17, over 100 volunteers planted 2,075 trees at the Blackbird State Forest for the Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Tree Planting. This initiative will provide scenic beauty, enhance wildlife habitat, fight invasive species, and improve water quality in the critical Chesapeake Bay Watershed. This tree planting was part of a broader program to commemorate the 200th birthday year of Harriet Tubman in 1822 and part of International Underground Railroad Month.

Members of the Delaware Nutrient Management Commission approved an emergency order during their October 4 meeting to allow for a 180-day extension for properly staged poultry litter in Delaware Crop fields beginning on November 1.

Delaware has been experiencing a significant increase in potbellied pigs running at large in residential and rural areas, including on state lands. Running at large, these pigs pose a nuisance to landowners, increase the threat of establishing feral pig populations, damage natural resources, and risk carrying endemic diseases that can spread to both people and animals.

Delaware’s agricultural producers will return to the Delaware State Fairgrounds in Harrington from January 9-12, 2023, for an in-person Ag Week experience. The much-awaited return to an in-person event will allow attendees to explore the latest and most valuable innovations while networking with other producers, industry experts, and agricultural vendors and exhibitors.

The Delaware Forest Service is now seeking entries for its annual Arbor Day Poster Contest, open to all K-5 public, private, homeschool, after-school, and other organized youth groups.  Designed to increase student knowledge about trees and forest resources, the contest is a great way for students to learn about the role trees play in our communities and their direct impact on Delawareans' health and well-being.

The urban forestry grant program helps communities harness the numerous natural benefits of trees: cleaner air and water, energy savings, increased property values, civic pride, and reduced storm water runoff and flooding. Funding is provided by the U.S. Forest Service and state funds.

During the Farmers Market Managers Summit held during Delaware Ag Week today, the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) announced that last year’s farmers markets hit an all-time high sales record of $3.7 million.

During the first day of Delaware Ag Week, the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Management Program Administrator Chris Brosch presented three honorees with the 2022 Delaware Environmental Stewardship Awards.

Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) surveys every agricultural producer across the country and in Puerto Rico to obtain a complete account of the industry, its changes, and emerging trends. Less than 25 percent of Delaware producers have responded to the 2022 Ag Census, which could jeopardize farm policy and decision-making about disaster relief, community planning, technology development, and more.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) is accepting proposals for the 2023 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The federal Farm Bill is allotting approximately $340,000 through a competitive grant process to fund innovative projects supporting specialty crops and creating new and better markets for the Delaware specialty crop industry. DDA will accept applications through March 24, 2023.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) and the Department of Agriculture (DDA) Forest Service are to celebrate World Wetlands Day today, Thursday, Feb. 2, by signing a cooperative agreement to manage and protect unique wetland communities that occur on state-owned forest, park and wildlife lands.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control reminds visitors to Delaware State Parks that 2023 entrance fees will be in effect starting Wednesday, March 1 through Nov. 30.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) is accepting applications through May 1, 2023, for a new Poultry House Demolition Assistance Program announced today. The program provides cost-share assistance to remove old poultry houses past their useful life.

Lyla Jones, a second-grader from Brandywine Springs Elementary School in Wilmington, is the overall winner of the Delaware Forest Service's annual Arbor Day School Poster Contest. This year's competition attracted almost 7,600 entries from more than 70 schools. The theme – "Trees Are Terrific…In All Shapes and Sizes!" – highlights how a diverse community forest is a healthier forest that attracts a variety of wildlife and is more visually stimulating.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture has partnered with Pasa Sustainable Agriculture to assist frontline farm and meatpacking workers who live or work in Delaware in receiving a one-time $600 relief payment through the Farm and Food Workers Relief Program (FFWR).

DOVER, Del. (May 2, 2023) – On the morning of Saturday, April 29, the Delaware Forest Service celebrated Arbor Day with an extensive tree planting surrounding the Peters Scout Camp/Peters Tract at Blackbird State Forest, along with our 2023 Arbor Day Poster Contest winners and their families. With support from the Forest Initiative Fund (FIF), […]

This year's conference theme, "Nature's Best Hope, Our Role as Educators" showcased a full day of sessions intended to connect people with nature, integrate environmental education into the school day, and cultivate environmental leaders.

DOVER, Del. (May 19, 2023) – The Delaware Tree Stewards, housed under the Delaware Forest Service’s Urban and Community Program, is offering a four-session training, geared toward participants living in both New Castle County and Sussex County, Delaware. Participants will be equipped with skills to be able to work with neighbors, organizations and local public […]

DNREC and DDA have determined that trail cameras for recreational use are no longer to be permitted on state wildlife areas, state parks, or state forests.

FFA teams will square off against each other in the 2023 “Forestry Career Development Event (CDE),” a challenging test of tree identification skills, forestry tools and knowledge, and math-related abilities. Each team consists of four students who must answer both individual and team-based questions. This is the event’s sixteenth consecutive year.