Natural Resources News
Early June 2017 Hypoxia Report
photo by Elizabeth Davis
Dissolved oxygen conditions in the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay mainstem were near average in early June. Read more…
Weekly Fishing Report
Matt and Morgan Jenkins got to go out fishing with their dad on Sunday; I’m sure there will be many more to come, that they will remember this day and the fish their dad, Greg, caught.
As we all know last Sunday was Father’s Day, and sons and daughters made every effort to be with dad and to share in some time together. Dads usually get to pick what they wish to do on Father’s Day, and when they team up with their sons and daughters it is a heartwarming sight to see. Read more…
Maryland Ocean Expert Awarded for Groundbreaking Work
Team Honored for Creating First Regional Ocean Action Plan
Gwynne Schultz (far right), was among four members that accepted the Peter Benchley Award May 11 at a ceremony in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.
A team of ocean experts, including Gwynne Schultz of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, received the prestigious Peter Benchley Ocean Award for more than three years’ work developing the first Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Action Plan.
Schultz, director of the Office of Coastal and Ocean Management, is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body, which received the award for “Excellence in Solutions” along with the Northeast Regional Planning Body and the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council.
Wicomico County Man Charged with Illegal Harvesting, Health Violations
Maryland Natural Resources Police officers on surveillance at the Nanticoke River Oyster Sanctuary charged a Wicomico County man with illegal harvesting and public health violations. Read more…
Three Communities Receive Funding to Mitigate Flooding
Department Program Assists Planning for Coastal Hazards
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will provide $125,000 total to three communities to reduce the impact of tidal flooding. These competitive Community Resiliency Grants will help local governments prepare for weather-related hazards, including flooding, sea level rise and storm events.
CoastSmart Communities is a department program dedicated to assisting Maryland’s coastal communities address short- and long-term coastal hazards. It connects local planners to essential information, people, tools and training. Read more…
Fort Frederick Brings American Revolution to Life
Reenactments Highlight Historic Weekend June 24-25
Fort Frederick State Park invites Marylanders to experience what life was like at the fort during the American Revolution, as it presents “To Garrison the Fort” June 24 – 25.
Living historians and members of the Maryland Independent Rifle Company will demonstrate hearth cooking, military drills, musket firings, and discuss period clothing and uniforms.
Community Parks and Playgrounds Program Accepting Applications
Department of Natural Resources Offers Funds for Improved Access to Open Spaces
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now accepting grant applications from cities and towns seeking to build, enhance or rehabilitate local parks and playgrounds.
Funding from the Community Parks and Playground Program can be used to restore existing areas and features or to develop and expand new green spaces.
Applications for Fiscal Year 2019 funding are due Aug. 16. Read more…
Weekly Fishing Report
Dave Andrews shows what kind of reward can come your way when you get out on the water before sunrise and fish topwater lures. This beautiful 42-inch beast of a striped bass was caught before sunrise this past Sunday.
Despite increased water releases at the Conowingo Dam in the past week, water temperatures in the lower river area are climbing into the mid 70s this week. Fishing for channel and flathead catfish near the dam pool and the lower river has been very good. Read more…
Department Awards $10.5 Million to Enhance Boating Access and Navigation
18 Maryland Counties Receive Waterway Improvement Fund Grants
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is providing $10.5 million in Waterway Improvement Fund grants to improve public boating access and navigation throughout the state.
Passed by the Maryland General Assembly and signed by Governor Larry Hogan, this critical funding will go toward 49 projects in 18 counties from Allegany to Worcester. Read more…
Record White Catfish Caught in Lower Potomac River
Lexington Park Resident Sets Standard with 8.27-Pound Catch
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources confirmed a St. Mary’s County man has set a new state fishing record for white catfish. The fish was recognized as a game fish a few years ago, but until now nobody had broken the seven-pound minimum weight to be eligible for state records.
Jacob Vosburgh, 20, of Lexington Park, caught the fish recorded at 8.27 pounds June 1 in the lower Potomac River. The white catfish was 23 inches in length.