Delaware’s Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, known as the SCORP, tracks the state’s recreation inventory, identifies needs for infrastructure and programs and guides public and private planning and investment to meet those needs.

The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation has released the 2025 – 2030 SCORP, Expanding Outdoor Recreation for All, which acts as a strategic framework to guide the development and management of outdoor recreation investments in Delaware.

2025 – 2030 Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan

Public Involvement

Delaware’s SCORP has evolved over the past 50 years through regular five-year updates. These updates have been driven by a Technical Advisory Committee and public input through phone surveys and other outreach efforts.

For the 2025-2030 update, a Technical Advisory Committee helped identify best practices for outreach, finalized a survey (building on previous surveys), evaluated public input and developed strategies and recommendations to implement the plan.

The SCORP update process began in February of 2023. Technical Advisory Committee meetings were held in 2023 and 2024. Public phone surveys began in March 2024.

Planners ran an on-line survey to collect feedback from interested people who did not participate in the phone survey. Combined, these efforts provided over 3,600 completed survey responses.

Public engagement opportunities also included in-person public information sessions held in each of the five SCORP Planning Regions in the state.

All SCORP Technical Advisory Committee meetings were open to the public and were posted on the DNREC Calendar of Events as well as on the state Public Meeting Calendar. Find meeting materials and, where available, recordings on the DNREC Calendar event pages listed on this page.

For more information on the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan and the work to update it, please contact Michael Tholstrup, Outdoor Recreation Planner, at 302-739-9215.

The SCORP’s Role in Public Outdoor Recreation Investment

Public outdoor recreation funding in Delaware is supported in part by the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), administered by the National Park Service under the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act. To remain eligible for LWCF support, states must update their SCORP every five years.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund Act brings significant federal funding to Delaware’s State Parks. It defines criteria for state investments in local recreation through the Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Trails Grant Program (ORPT). Supported by the Delaware Trust Fund, this fund has provided over $34 million for local recreation projects since the late 1980s.

Through this process, planners updated the Play Outside recreation inventory mapping tool. This detailed map offers current information about trails, parks and recreational facilities that are available to the public, throughout Delaware.

Past SCORP and Other Park Planning Information

The last Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan was published in 2018, following a planning process that involved more than 2,000 Delaware residents who responded to surveys, attended meetings and shared their thoughts.

Past SCORPs also surveyed Delawareans about recreation trends and inventoried available facilities. Today they provide a good resource and document the recreation trends of Delawareans.

Learn more about these and other Park Planning Resources.

Related Topics:  funding, grants, outdoors and recreation, parks, plan, planning, recreation, scorp, state parks, trails