With the passing of former State Senator Steven Amick on Wednesday, January 23 Governor Carney has ordered the United States and Delaware flags at state buildings and facilities be flown at half-staff beginning Friday morning, February 1 as a mark of respect for Mr. Amick and his service to Delaware. Mr. Amick’s legislative career began […]

Governor John Carney today ordered United States and Delaware flags lowered to half-staff in honor of U.S. Marines Staff Sergeant Christopher Slutman, who was killed in action in Afghanistan on Monday. Staff Sergeant Slutman resided in Delaware along with his family. Flags are to be returned to full staff Monday morning.     Click here […]

By a joint resolution approved 12/18/2001, (Public Law 107-89) September 11th of each year has been designated as “Patriot Day”. This law also directs the flags be lowered to half-staff for the entire day on September 11th. In concurrence with this directive, Governor Carney has ordered the U. S. and Delaware flags be flown at […]

Previous guidance issued this morning provided for the U.S. and Delaware flags to be flown at half staff Friday, September 20 to mark the passing of former Public Defender Larry Sullivan. Title 29, Section 408 of the Delaware Code requires Delaware State agencies, including all public schools, to display a POW/MIA flag on National POW/MIA […]

$4.5 million investment enhances security, improves employee and visitor experience WILMINGTON, Del. – Governor John Carney, along with Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, members of the General Assembly and members of his cabinet cut the ribbon on Tuesday to celebrate the completion of the first phase of renovations to the Carvel State Office Building in Wilmington. […]

Everyday across Delaware, thousands of firefighters serve their communities and protect the public by responding to not only fires but almost any emergency situation. Sunday, October 6 has been recognized by Congress as the day US and State flags are to be flown at half-staff in recognition of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service.

Delaware releases its Annual Report on State Planning Issues. This year, a visual and interactive Executive Overview was created.  This provides an easy reading experience.  A brief overview is provided for each section of the report.  The sections are: Economy, Communities, Health, Conservation, Schools, Transportation, and Data.  Additionally, links to story maps provide more detail […]

Ancient Monuments Preservation Act 1904

Case of Lily Thomas V Union of India

Relaxation in adherence to prescribed timelines issued by SEBI due to COVID 19

AcSIR-Act-2011 - The Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research Act, 2011

Governor Jack Markell, DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara and Delaware Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Kee joined Delmarva Wellnet Foundation-EDEN Delmarva members to celebrate the success of the foundation’s food recycling project REPLENISH.

Delaware residents should ask pesticide contractors for their state pesticide business license information before hiring them, state agricultural officials advise. "Spring and summer are a busy season for pesticide applicators, as many people get their lawns spruced up," said Dave Pyne, pesticides administrator for the Department of Agriculture. "We want homeowners to know that all pesticide applicators in Delaware should be licensed and certified, which ensures everyone is working by approved standards."

With hurricane season about to begin, Delaware agricultural authorities are urging farmers and pet owners to plan ahead and prepare for weather emergencies. Hurricane Preparedness Week runs from May 26 to June 1, with hurricane season beginning June 1. The Department of Agriculture’s Delaware Animal Response Program works with state emergency officials and animal welfare organizations to assist animal owners with preparation, sheltering in place and evacuation. “Preparing and acting early can save animals’ lives,” said Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee. “The time to take action is now, before storms create disaster conditions.”

American sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) is a native tree that can be affected by a fungal disease known as anthracnose. Several factors such as wet weather and lower average temperatures have combined to make this a more severe year for this condition. While many of the trees in the sycamore family are showing signs of stress, experts at the Delaware Forest Service believe that the majority of these will recover and leaf out normally as temperatures warm toward summer.

Owners of farm markets, produce stands, garden centers, agritourism businesses, riding stables, farms offering hay sales, and other agricultural retail operations are being sought to be featured in the latest edition of the Delaware Agricultural Directory.

A crew of 20 wildland firefighters from the Delaware Forest Service that departed on Friday, July 5 has joined over 680 personnel working on the 65,000-acre Stuart Creek 2 fire, located 25 miles east of North Pole, Alaska. The blaze is only 5 percent contained and burning through a mix of hardwoods and black spruce. The crew is assigned to a "remote spike camp" and is making the adjustment to long hours of daylight typical of an Alaskan summer. The first operational day for the crew was Monday, July 8.

Highlighting two paths to the future for Delaware agriculture, Governor Jack Markell and Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee welcomed a group of young Wilmington urban farmers and an international trade delegation to the Delaware State Fair.

A strong Delaware watermelon season is now under way, with First State melons now reaching customers in grocery stores and markets along the East Coast, from New England to Florida. This season is featuring good yields and excellent quality for Delaware watermelon growers, said Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee. The First State produces both seeded and seedless watermelon.

In response to increased fire activity in the West, the Delaware Forest Service has sent a 20-person crew of wildland firefighters to Utah. The crew will be "pre-positioned" there before a likely assignment to Eastern Great Basin region. This is the second crew from Delaware this summer - the first battled an 85,000-acre blaze near North Pole, Alaska in July. The crew departed Sunday, August 11, from Blackbird State Forest near Smyrna to board a flight to Salt Lake City, Utah from Harrisburg, PA on Monday, August 12.

A Kent County horse has tested positive for West Nile Virus, the Department of Agriculture announced today. The horse, which is recovering well, is Delaware's first confirmed equine case of West Nile Virus since 2003, said Delaware State Veterinarian Dr. Heather Hirst, who urged equine owners to get their horses vaccinated.

Learn about beekeeping basics, beehives, honey production and more at a free Open Hive Event sponsored by the Delaware Beekeepers Association. The free public event will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 21 at Redden State Forest, Georgetown.

A second Delaware horse has tested positive for West Nile Virus, but has recovered. The two-year-old filly from Sussex County is the state’s second confirmed case of West Nile Virus since 2003. Delaware’s first equine case of West Nile Virus this year was diagnosed in Kent County in August; that horse has also recovered.

A horse from Sussex County has tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a mosquito-borne disease, the Delaware Department of Agriculture announced today.

As part of National Fire Prevention Month in October, Smokey Bear will be visiting classrooms with the Delaware Forest Service's yearly fire prevention education programs targeted to first-grade students in the state's private, public, and charter schools. Ashley Peebles coordinates the successful effort that reaches around 9,000 students annually.

Five marketing and research projects supporting Delaware crops will receive nearly $230,000 in funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee announced today.

The Delaware Forest Service funded a streetscape project in Georgetown, highlighted by the planting of 18 new cherry and lilac trees along East Market Street near the Sussex County Courthouse. Total cost was estimated at $37,000.

The Delaware Forest Service is seeking qualified and interested individuals for its upcoming series of wildfire training classes at the Delaware State Fire School. Ideal candidates should be: at least 18 years of age, physically and mentally fit, motivated to learn, and willing to travel for two weeks or more for out-of-state assignments.

Photos are available for media use on Flickr. DOVER – Delaware’s community farmers’ markets set a new sales record in 2013, with shoppers buying more than $2.1 million in fresh produce and other goods, the Department of Agriculture said Tuesday. Gov. Jack Markell and Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee announced the news at an annual […]

Forty-four new farms totaling more than 4,300 acres have been selected for permanent easements to add to the Delaware Farmland Preservation Program, the Delaware Agricultural Lands Preservation Foundation has announced.

The 2014 Delaware Arborist and Tree Care Seminar will be held on March 4 and 5 at Baywood Greens in Long Neck, Sussex County. Cost is $80 with lunch included. Register at delawaretrees.com.

The Delaware Forest Service's 2014 Arbor Day Poster Contest is now open to all Delaware students in grades K to 5. Public, private and home schools are encouraged to participate as well as after-school groups and youth organizations. Posters are due by April 4th, 2013. This year's poster contest theme - "Trees are Terrific…In Cities and Towns!" - is dedicated to the important role that trees play in our communities and schoolyards.

With farm stands opening their doors and farmers' market seasons kicking off this month, it's now easier than ever for Delawareans to buy their farm-fresh items directly from growers.

The Delaware Forest Service will hold its 19th annual Fire Camp at Redden State Forest near Georgetown on Saturday, April 26 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The intensive one-day seminar provides hands-on training to volunteer wildland firefighters and, weather permitting, will feature a "live burn" exercise in which crew members battle an actual wildfire.

More than $336,000 in federal grant funding is now available for projects to help produce, market or access Delaware-grown fruit, vegetables and certain other crops.

With warm weather here and mosquito season under way, Delaware horse owners are being advised to make certain their equines’ vaccinations are current to protect against the threat of two potentially fatal diseases. Unvaccinated horses suffer most severely from both West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis, which are spread by infected mosquitoes and can be fatal.

Delaware hog owners, veterinarians and laboratories are now required to report suspected cases of two rapidly spreading swine diseases to the Delaware Department of Agriculture. Delaware has had no cases of either disease reported to date.

In response to increased wildfire activity in the western United States, the Delaware Forest Service (DFS) dispatched a crew of volunteer wildland firefighters from Blackbird State Forest in Smyrna on Saturday, July 19 that traveled to Redmond, Oregon. The team is getting in position to fight a wildfire in that region and should receive its assignment in the next 24 hours. The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho recently upped its National Fire Preparedness Level to 3 on a 5-point scale. However in the Northwest, the regional level is currently at the maximum 5 on a 5-point scale due to the incidence of 17 new fires and 24 large uncontained blazes.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture and landscape artist Mark S. Reeve are partnering on a year-long project to preserve the images of historic First State farms.

The Delaware Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program is accepting applications for its 2014 grant program from municipalities, homeowner associations, and certified 501(c)(3) non-profit groups in Delaware. Grants range from $1,000 to $5,000 for either tree planting or tree management projects and require a 50-50 cost-share match in cash or in-kind services. Projects must be performed on public land and only one project in one category by each applicant is permitted. Applications will be judged on a competitive basis by a committee of the Delaware Community Forestry Council. Deadline for submission is September 15, 2014.

High-resolution images on Delaware Forest Service’s Facebook Photo Album DOVER – The Delaware Forest Service has sent a second wildfire crew to the western United States as 41 active large fires are burning over 700,000 acres across five western states, with most concentrated in California, Oregon, and Washington, with 10 each. So far this year, […]

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.

The Delaware Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Program is awarding over $47,000 in competitive grants to fund 14 community-based tree projects in all three Delaware counties. This year, more than half of the successful projects - a total of $29,429.35 - addressed tree management issues such as the removal of hazardous trees. Overall, 11 projects were funded in New Castle County, one in Kent County, and two in Sussex County.

More than 30 Delaware farmers have Christmas trees available for First State families this holiday season, with local firs, spruces and pines in abundance – and easy to find and buy with the Delaware Fresh mobile app and the Delaware Buy Local guide, de.gov/buylocal.

The Delaware Forest Service (DFS) is seeking recruits to enroll in its upcoming wildfire training classes at the Delaware State Fire School. Candidates should be at least 18 years of age, physically and mentally fit, motivated to learn, and willing and able to travel for at least two weeks or more (usually during the summer) for out-of-state fire assignments. Previous firefighting experience is not required. The deadline for course registration is January 3, 2015.

Thirteen farms totaling more than 1,060 acres have been selected for permanent easements to add to the Delaware Farmland Preservation Program. Under the Markell administration, 304 farms totaling 27,700 acres have been preserved.

Delaware farmers’ markets had a record $2.6 million sales season, double that of just five years ago, thanks to dramatically increasing interest in local food and farm-fresh products, the Delaware Department of Agriculture announced today. “This record-setting season is a reflection of Delaware’s thriving local food movement,” said Governor Jack Markell.

The Delaware Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry (U&CF) Program is offering a new "Partnership Tree Planting Grant" to nonprofit groups who own property within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. The U&CF Program will award eight (8) $1000 matching grants on a first-come, first-served basis to qualifying nonprofit groups who apply by February 27, 2015.

The Fifth Annual Delaware Arborist and Tree Care Seminar will be held on March 3 and 4 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at Hagley Museum & Soda House, 298 Buck Road, Wilmington, DE 19807. Sponsored by the Delaware Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, the annual gathering offers classroom lectures, hands-on training, and on-site exhibits offering the latest knowledge and techniques for those interested in proper tree care and safety. This year's topics will include: crane safety for tree care workers, pesticide application, mature tree care and hazard risk assessment, new tree and shrub introductions, and how to use i-Tree to assess and manage urban forests. Cost is $90 with lunch included.

The Delaware Forest Service is holding its annual Arbor Day School Poster Contest, which is open to all Delaware students in grades K to 5. Public, private and home schools are encouraged to participate and posters are welcome from after-school groups and youth organizations. This year’s contest theme is “Trees are Terrific… Inside and Out.” To participate, teachers must register their classes by March 13 and submit posters by the deadline of March 27. Classes that participate can also request free pine seedlings on a first-come, first-served basis.