The DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife manages approximately 68,000 acres of Delaware land at 19 public wildlife areas that provide hunting and wildlife opportunities as well as habitat for a variety of species. The Division implements important wildlife and habitat conservation and education initiatives, like the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program and the Delaware Shorebird Monitoring Project.

Conservation Programs

Wildlife Program Services and Funding

The Division uses a combination of federal funds and revenue from recreational licenses and permits to fund wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, public access, hunting, fishing and other services. The federal Wildlife Restoration Act, Sport Fish Restoration Act, and State Wildlife Grants programs support wildlife conservation, hunting, fishing, boating and education.

The Division provides required matching funds through permitting and licensing fees, conservation access pass fees, and the time and contributions of state employees and local volunteers.

The Delaware Nongame Wildlife, Endangered Species and Natural Areas Preservation Fund

Delaware faces tremendous challenges trying to conserve a diverse array of nongame and endangered species, restore wildlife habitat, and maintain the natural beauty of the state. Available funds fall far short of what it takes, so your support is needed more urgently than ever.

The next time you spot a bald eagle soaring overhead or spy an exquisite orchid growing in the forest, you’ll be glad you did!

The names of contributors to the tax check-off are kept confidential to protect their privacy, so we are not able to thank each contributor personally.

Conservation Publications

Status Ranking Criteria

Rare Plants of Delaware

Native Indigenous Trees of Delaware

Non-native, Invasive Plants of Delaware

Guide to Delaware Vegetation Communities

Noteworthy Plant Collections from Delaware, Maryland, And Virginia (2021)

Plant Species Rarity: Reflecting Delaware’s Environmental Health (Outdoor Delaware, 2014)

The Flora of Coastal Plain Pond Herbaceous Communities on the Delmarva Peninsula

Bryoflora of the Great Cypress Swamp

New Records for the Leafy Liverwort Calypogeia peruviana on the Delmarva Peninsula

Floristic Discoveries in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia

Status and Distribution of Tsuga canadensis on the Delmarva Peninsula

The Ferns and Pines of the Delmarva Peninsula

An Annotated Checklist of the Liverworts and Hornworts of the Delmarva Peninsula

A New Combination in the Fern Genus Osmundastrum (Osmundaceae)

Remembering Frank Hirst and His Recollection of the Discovery of Utricularia olivacea in New Jersey

Noteworthy Native Plant Collections from the Delmarva Peninsula

Plants and Habitat, the Foundation for Wild Delaware

Amaranthus pumilis (seabeach amaranth) Rediscovered in Sussex County, Delaware

Sphagnum cyclophyllum, New to Delaware and Maryland

Plant Community Classification and the Flora of Native American Shell-middens on the Delmarva Peninsula

Observations and Notes on the Biology and Ecology of Featherfoil (Hottonia inflata) in Delaware

Rediscovery of Lobelia boykinii in Delaware

Rediscovery of Dicanthelium hirstii (Poaceae) in Georgia

Related Topics:  conservation, fish and wildlife, wildlife