The 2016-2017 public oyster harvest season kicks off Oct. 1 and runs through March 31. The opening month is reserved for divers and watermen using shaft and patent tongs. “Although blue crabs are fat and plentiful this time of year, it is oysters on the half shell that traditionally bring Marylanders together in the fall and winter months,” Read the Rest…
Today, officials from the National Wildlife Federation, the state of Maryland and Queen Anne’s County held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Conquest Preserve Living Shoreline Project on the banks of the Chester River.
Deer and striped bass poaching cases were among the incidents handled over the weekend by Maryland Natural Resources Police officers.
12 Maryland Counties Awarded Grants The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the recipients of the 2016 Volunteer Fire Assistance Program grants, which provide financial and technical assistance to rural volunteer fire departments and their communities. This year, the department awarded $89,025 to 39 volunteer fire departments in 12 Maryland counties.
Sometimes, the good guys arrive on four paws. Maybe they’re asked to find a hiker, lost and cold, in the woods. Perhaps, it’s to look for a weapon used in a crime and tossed into an overgrown field. Or it could be to zero-in on wildlife illegally shot by a poacher and hidden away from Read the Rest…
As fall creeps in and the growing season fades, the Maryland Forest Service still has one thing in mind: planting trees. From Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, the Forest Service continually partners with the community in its mission of getting trees in the ground. Whether on public or private land, shovels are always in Read the Rest…
It sounds like a case made for Scooby Doo and the Mystery Machine, but unlike a cartoon, there is a very real danger facing Maryland bats each winter: Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the cause of the fatal white-nose syndrome. This cold-loving fungus attacks bats while they hibernate by growing on and into their skin. As a result, Read the Rest…
Simply put, waterfalls are nothing more than rivers flowing over rocks but that doesn’t stop them from being among the most wondrous sights our natural world has to offer. You may think the only way to enjoy such areas beyond social media is to travel to faraway states, but I’m here to show you the Read the Rest…
A tide of good news on Chesapeake Bay health has been rolling in over the past couple of years. Anecdotal accounts, backed-up by scientific monitoring programs of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and its partners, have observed promising improvements in water quality, aquatic habitats and the abundance of crabs and oysters. The question on Read the Rest…
From the remains of Native American settlements to development undertaken by Europeans, it is difficult to find a part of Maryland that does not possess a unique story to tell. As the largest single public landowner, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources manages a huge portfolio of historically significant properties full of important archeological, architectural Read the Rest…
Have you ever grumbled about the minimum size requirement, especially after you threw back that sixth undersized fish of the day? Have you ever wondered who makes these rules, why or how? Fisheries management, like much of what we do at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, can be considered a balancing act between two Read the Rest…
A large crowd enjoys a hot day on the beach. A small family strolls down to the shore. A group of friends prepares for a day of fishing and boating bliss. All of a sudden something washes ashore. It’s the stuff of evening news headlines and social media click-bait. But for the department’s Marine Mammal Read the Rest…
Living in a coastal region has its perks, along with its own potential downsides. You can never predict exactly what may happen during hurricane season, but you can always prepare for it and handle worst case scenarios in a way that will the least impact on your loved ones, your assets and your day-to-day life.
Maryland Natural Resources Police officers handled striped bass poaching violations, arrested a man for indecent exposure and charged a boater with impaired operation in some recent cases.
Managed Deer Hunt Begins Oct. 20 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will provide public deer hunting opportunities, as part of a managed deer hunting program, in the Belt Woods Natural Environment Area during the 2016-2017 hunting seasons.
Process Provides Opportunity to Trap on Public Lands The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is currently accepting bids for the 2016-2017 furbearer trapping season for public lands on the Eastern Shore.
Alcohol use, inattention and excessive speed led to the fatal boat accident on Whitehall Creek in Annapolis July 31, a Maryland Natural Resources Police investigation determined. The accident killed Paul Christopher Dettor, 49, of Annapolis, and injured two passengers.
The Hances Point Yacht Club in North East is the newest Maryland Clean Marina certified by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The Cecil County facility earned the recognition after adopting practices from the Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook, meeting all environmental and regulatory requirements, and passing a mandatory site inspection.
Fan Favorite Winner to be Chosen on Facebook The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced the winners of the 2016 Natural Resources Photo Contest, with the grand prize going to Mitch Adolph of Lutherville for his excellent action photo of sparring egrets on Assateague Island.
Natural Resources Police Handle Poaching Violations and Others Maryland Natural Resources Police officers handled oyster, striped bass and crab poaching violations and arrested a man on drug and stolen vehicle charges in recent cases.
Wildlife Management Area Now Open for Deer Hunting The Parker’s Creek Wildlife Management Area in Calvert County will open for deer hunting this fall season. Those interested in hunting the area must possess a free Southern Region Seasonal Permit, complete a free Hunter Orientation and Shooting Qualification session and must make daily reservations.
Department of Natural Resources Certifies Harbor East in the Inner Harbor The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has certified Harbor East Marina in Baltimore as the latest Maryland Clean Marina. The facility earned the recognition after adopting best management practices from the Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook, meeting all environmental and regulatory requirements, and passing a site inspection.
To Provide Potomac River Nursery Habitat The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Chesapeake Bay Foundation and National Harbor have formed a taskforce to construct and place 80 small concrete reef balls in Smoots Bay in the Potomac River to help improve the fishery.
Even though Tropical Storm Hermine kept many boaters off the water this Labor Day weekend, the Maryland Natural Resources Police were busy inspecting anglers and crabbers, checking dove and waterfowl hunters and patrolling our state parks and waters.
Sika Deer Hunting Now Permitted in All Counties Archery hunting for white-tailed deer and sika deer opens statewide Sept. 9, and continues through Jan. 31, 2017. The bag limit for white-tailed bucks is one per weapon season. Maryland hunters in Region B have the option to take one additional bonus buck after purchasing a Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp Read the Rest…
