DOVER, Del. – The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) will hold two public listening sessions this month to gather feedback as the agency works to update the Delaware Wildlife Action Plan -- a 10-year conservation strategy guiding the state’s efforts to protect fish, wildlife and natural habitats through 2035.
The first session will take place both in person and virtually on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. at the Little Creek Hunter Education Training Center, in Dover. The second will be virtual-only on Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. Details, including the web links and call-in information, are available on the DNREC Meeting Calendar.
Updating the Wildlife Action Plan is required for Delaware to remain eligible for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grant Program funding, which supports statewide conservation and resource stewardship. The plan assesses Delaware’s wildlife and habitats, identifies threats they face, and outlines strategies to protect them.
A key focus of the 2025 update is making the plan more accessible and interactive, with web-enabled tools such as a searchable database and digital habitat maps. During the listening sessions, DNREC staff will explain new features, share draft updates and answer questions about what’s changed since the last plan in 2015.
“This plan takes all of the tremendous effort that went into the 2015 Delaware Wildlife Action Plan, builds on our conservation successes and charts a path forward to guide fish and wildlife conservation in Delaware for the next decade,” said Joe Rogerson, DNREC Wildlife Section Administrator. “Scientists, wildlife biologists, hunters, anglers, conservationists and all other stakeholders have an opportunity to work together to implement conservation actions and address threats facing Delaware’s valuable wildlife resources.”
The draft 2025 Delaware Wildlife Action Plan is now available for public review and comment online at de.gov/dewap. Feedback may also be submitted by email to DEWAP2025@delaware.gov.