Delaware’s Wildlife Action Plan submitted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for review

Delaware’s Wildlife Action Plan submitted to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for review

DOVER (Oct. 5, 2015) – Delaware’s Wildlife Action Plan (DEWAP) for 2015-2025, two years in the making through a wide range of partnerships and public input, has been submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for approval, DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife announced today.

The Division of Fish & Wildlife and its conservation partners worked with state and regional wildlife experts and other key stakeholders to develop the 2015 DEWAP while continually seeking public comment on it. Required for Delaware to be eligible for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) State Wildlife Grant Program funding, the DEWAP will assess Delaware’s wildlife and habitats, identify challenges they face and outline actions needed for their long-term conservation.

“As wildlife conservation moves forward in the 21st century, we need to be vigilant, recognizing changes in wildlife populations and habitats, identifying both existing and emerging threats and issues facing our wildlife resources and developing the adaptive capacity for implementing a variety of management techniques to address our conservation challenges through effective and measurable outcomes,” said Anthony Gonzon, Division of Fish & Wildlife Biodiversity Program manager. “The plan identifies threats and actions for those species and habitats most likely to be affected by rapidly changing climatic conditions and provides a step forward for addressing the future of Delaware’s wildlife populations and habitats.”

“This 2015 revision of the DEWAP applies a balanced and comprehensive approach to wildlife conservation with the goal of ‘keeping common species common and healthy ecosystems healthy’ at all levels,” said Joe Rogerson, Division of Fish & Wildlife Species Conservation and Research Program manager. “The plan exemplifies how we can adjust our approach and renew our commitment to stewarding the wildlife resources for which we are responsible.”

Beginning with the initial 2005 submission, and now with this latest revision, Delaware’s Wildlife Action Plan guides the Division of Fish & Wildlife to conserve wildlife diversity and adapt to changing wildlife populations, habitats and threats. The strategies outlined in the plan are targeted at securing continued funding for wildlife diversity and serve as a roadmap for future wildlife diversity conservation actions.

The 2015 revision of the DEWAP will not be finalized until it has been approved by the USFWS, which should occur in the next few months. In the meantime, the version submitted to the USFWS earlier this week may be found athttp://de.gov/dewap.

For questions regarding Delaware’s Wildlife Action Plan, please contact Anthony Gonzon at 302-735-8673.