SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. - With snow in the forecast, DNREC is urging people to avoid sledding, snowboarding or engaging in recreational activities on Delaware’s sand dunes.
CoastTV Meteorologists are predicting snowfall the evening of Jan. 2 and more significantly on Jan. 6. Snow on Monday could reach at least 6-inches.
With that, the state is urging the public to enjoy the snow off of the coast's dunes. DNREC says the dunes provide essential protection for beaches and nearby communities, while also serving as fragile wildlife habitats. The DNREC Division of Parks and Recreation emphasizes that pedestrian traffic and recreational activities on dunes are prohibited, except at designated crossings in Cape Henlopen and Delaware Seashore state parks.
Scott Borino, the coastal regional administrator for DNREC, says sleds and snowboards cause damage to the beach grasses the anchor the sand in place and keep the dunes resilient.
"It's important to remember that the dunes serve a vital importance to Sussex County. They're a natural buffer between the ocean and the inland regions. So, they're really that first line of defense when there's storms and any type of coastal flooding. Any type of human disturbance in the dunes can disturb the natural habitat," said Borino.
Kathy Griffin-Graham enjoys spending time at the Indian River Inlet and thinks this is an important message.
"This is our gem of Delaware, and we need to save the beaches from erosion," said Griffin-Graham. "It's those dunes that are protecting the ground and the sand and the turtles and the little bits of wildlife that live up in the dunes."
DNREC says people caught on the dunes could be fined.
