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DNREC to close Cape Henlopen's The Point for six months

Gary Cooke
Piping plovers

State park officials will close off a section of Cape Henlopen State Park from the public this Tuesday, March 1.

The section - known as The Point - is a half-mile stretch of ocean beach and dunes. It’s being closed to protect endangered and threatened species of birds that use it for nesting.   Those species include the red knot, piping plover, oystercatchers and least terns.

Piping plovers, for example, used to crowd the Mid-Atlantic coast, several decades ago. But last year, DNREC reported there was only one piping plover pair found nesting at Gordons Pond. Eventually, the pair abandoned their nest.

The nesting habitat on the ocean side will reopen on September 1. The bayside beach will remain closed until October 1, since it’s used by shorebirds migrating south for the winter.

The Point has been closed every year since 1993 to protect these vulnerable avian species.

 

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