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Partial Closure of Cape Henlopen State Park to Protect Endangered Shorebirds

destateparks.com

LEWES, Del. (AP) - Delaware state officials say they are closing part ofCape Henlopen State Park to protect threatened and endangered shorebirds.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control says the Point at Cape Henlopen, including a section of beach, dunes and a half mile of bayshoreline, will be closed March 1. Nesting habitat on the ocean side will reopen Sept. 1 when young birds hatched this season are typically able to fly. The bayside beach will remain closed until Oct. 1 for use by shorebirds migrating south for the winter.

The Daily Times of Salisbury reports the area has been closed annually since 1993 as part of an effort to halt the decline of beach-nesting and migratory shorebirds, including piping plovers, least terns and oystercatchers.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.