News from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.
Aug. 5, 2008 - Vol. 38, No. 353
For more information, contact Chief Wayne Kline, Delaware State Parks Enforcement Section, 302-739-9220, or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.
New Law Raises Fines for Violations of State Park Regulations
Under new legislation signed into law by Governor Ruth Ann Minner on June 21, Delaware State Parks Enforcement officers will be assessing higher fines for violations of State Park Rules and Regulations.
The new fines have increased from a $25 minimum for a first offense to a $50 minimum, and from a $50 second offense minimum fine to a $100 minimum. Maximum fines remain the same, $250 for a first offense and $500 for a second offense.
If an offense involves the failure to acquire a surf fishing vehicle permit or failure to pay an entrance fee, the law now allows officers to assess violators for the cost of the permit or fee. That means a Delaware resident caught as a first time offender without a valid surf permit could be fined $50 plus the $65 price of an annual surf permit, while non-residents would face the same fine plus the $130 cost of a non-resident surf permit. Offenders pay the fee but do not receive a permit.
“Before these changes, in many cases the cost of violating the law was cheaper than paying the proper fee for the activity. That didn’t serve as much of a deterrent for some people. We hope that higher fines will make people think twice before they violate our regulations,” said Chief Wayne Kline of Delaware State Parks Enforcement.
Other common violations which Kline hopes will become less frequent with the new higher fines include not paying daily park entrance fees, which are in effect from March to November, as well as such violations as entering a protected bird nesting area and having an unleashed dog. Dogs must be leashed year-round in all of Delaware’s State Parks.
“We prefer not to give tickets to people who come to our parks,” Kline stressed. “We just want to have compliance with Park rules and regulations. They are laws, the same as traffic or any other laws in the state, and visitors to our parks must follow these laws.”
In addition, those using Delaware State Parks without paying their entrance fees and purchasing surf permits and annual passes do not contribute to keeping those same parks open for all Delawareans and visitors to enjoy.
“The Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation is heavily supported by fees collected for activities in our parks, including surf fishing, camping, entrance fees and annual passes. These fees go right back into the Parks to help pay for staff, maintenance and improvements,” said Charles Salkin, Director of the Division of Parks and Recreation.
The Delaware Attorney General’s Office drafted the legislation including these changes in fines for violations of Parks rules and regulations with input from the DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation.
In addition to the changes under the new legislation, the Division also reviewed its parking fines, and DNREC Secretary John A. Hughes recently approved an increase from $10 to $20 for vehicles parked illegally on State Parks property. “Our parking fines are now consistent with those of our neighboring municipalities,” Kline said.
For more information on Delaware State Parks, please visit http://www.destateparks.com.