Oldest State Police Agency to Host Public Celebration May 12 at Sandy Point State Park One hundred and fifty years ago today, Maryland’s oldest state police agency began its mission of protecting people, wildlife and public lands and waters. Maryland Natural Resources Police is marking its sesquicentennial with a proclamation from Gov. Larry Hogan and congratulatory resolutions from Read the Rest…
I’m proud to help commemorate an important milestone in Maryland history—150 years since the founding of the Maryland Natural Resources Police. The department is our first state law enforcement agency, predating the Maryland State Police by almost a half-century, and is also one of the oldest conservation law enforcement organizations in the nation.
Spring is an exciting time for those of us who are passionate about the great outdoors. For many, the longer days and warmer weather leads us to adventure out onto the water, particularly the Chesapeake Bay. In this edition of the Maryland Natural Resource, you can find a promising progress report from our partners at Read the Rest…
Commemorating the Sesquicentennial of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, the oldest statewide law enforcement agency in Maryland and the fourth oldest conservation law enforcement agency in the country. It traces its origins to the Maryland Oyster Police Force, founded in 1868 with the appointment of its first commander, Hunter Davidson.
This year, the Maryland Natural Resources Police is celebrating its 150th anniversary, a milestone that makes it the fourth-oldest state conservation law enforcement agency in the nation. Then as now, the mission is to protect the state’s most precious resources, its citizens and visitors.
Ever wonder why the state stocks trout? Confused about the timing of Arbor Day? Our experts have the answers!
Among the many wild animals that roam our farms, fields and forests, there is one native midsize carnivore that goes largely unnoticed: the bobcat. In fact, the bobcat is the only wild member of the cat family found in Maryland.
Black bass fishing is synonymous with both largemouth and smallmouth bass. Its popularity in the late 20th century exploded into a multimillion dollar competitive sport, spawning professional fishing tournaments not just here in Maryland, but around the world.
Like a sunrise or spring’s return, the Chesapeake Bay is something Marylanders may be guilty of taking for granted. Those steel-blue waters and fiery sunsets astonish millions of visitors each year, but for Free State residents, living alongside North America’s largest estuary is old hat. Which isn’t to say we don’t love the bay. It’s Read the Rest…
Progress. It’s a word with many definitions, including, “A forward or onward movement toward an objective or goal.” At the Chesapeake Bay Program, progress is measured in the 10 goals of our Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. When our partnership—consisting of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, the Chesapeake Bay Read the Rest…
Change is coming. The question is, will it be a change that moves the nation’s largest estuary closer to restoration, or further from it? This Chesapeake Bay Week, April 22-28, Maryland Public Television broadcasts several programs that expose issues important for everyone who lives in the watershed.
A Baltimore City native, Kerry was always outside as a child. When she got on her first bicycle, she was off to Herring Run Park—exploring, investigating, listening—curious about the natural world within the city.
Full Steam Ahead for Catching State’s Favorite Crustacean The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces that the blue crab season officially opens April 1 in Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries as well as the Atlantic Ocean and coastal bays. “The beginning of blue crab season is a Maryland tradition,” Fishing and Boating Services Director David Read the Rest…
Anglers Have New Fishing Opportunity on Picturesque Patapsco River The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced the opening of a one-mile section of the South Branch Patapsco River near Sykesville as a Group 1 Delayed Harvest Trout Fishing Area. The department created the new area to increase angler access and trout fishing opportunities on Read the Rest…
Annual Contest Brings Entries from Seven States The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that a Delaware resident won this year’s Maryland Black Bear Conservation Stamp Design Contest, while the award for top Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design went to a resident of Des Moines, Iowa. The winners were chosen by a panel of judges March 17 Read the Rest…
It’s safe to say that more than a few trout fishermen will spend a restless Friday night glancing at their alarm clocks. Opening Day holds all the promise and anticipation one can imagine, like something out of our youthful fantasies. A carnival-type atmosphere will greet most anglers as they arrive at the more popular and Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree seedlings to help improve water quality in Carroll County. Landowners who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream or other waterway on or near their property are eligible for free trees through the department’s Backyard Buffers program. Requests for seedlings must be received by April 3. Interested property owners should Read the Rest…
Total of Six Demonstration Projects Statewide The Board of Public Works today unanimously approved dedicated funding of two Coastal Resiliency Grant Program projects in Anne Arundel County to help communities enhance their resiliency to the effects of climate change, extreme storms and weather. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is helping to design six shoreline improvement demonstration projects statewide to Read the Rest…
Deadline is April 15 Maryland marinas can now apply for Pumpout Operations and Maintenance grants through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. These grants reimburse marinas for the expense of operating and maintaining pumpout stations. Applications due April 15.
Conservation Training Opportunity The Maryland Environmental Trust is offering a one-day volunteer training session for individuals interested in helping to monitor state conservation easements. The training session will be held 6 to 8 p.m. April 17 at Maryland Environmental Trust at 100 Community Place, Conference Room A, Crownsville. The trust, a unit of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Read the Rest…
Riparian Homeowners Can Help Improve Water Quality The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree and shrub seedlings to help improve water quality in Washington County. County landowners who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream or other waterway on or near their property are eligible for free seedlings through the department’s Backyard Buffers program.
Tournaments Recognized for Best Practices The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces a new award to help promote black bass conservation. The Director’s Black Bass Conservation Award will recognize bass fishing tournament directors who exemplify conservation with special recognition from the department and eligibility to receive fishing supplies.
Riparian Homeowners Can Help Improve Water Quality The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree seedlings to help improve water quality in Frederick County. County landowners who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream or other waterway on or near their property are eligible for free trees through the department’s Backyard Buffers program.
A Prince George’s County man was charged Sunday with recreational fishing on a suspended license. A Natural Resources Police officer on surveillance on the Dorchester County side of the Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park saw Elser Roque Guerra, 35, of Hyattsville, fishing for striped bass. When approached, Guerra told the officer that he was Read the Rest…
April 7 Event Open to Anglers Aged 15 and Under Young anglers can catch stocked trout and other fish from 8 a.m. to noon April 7, during the Fort Frederick State Park annual youth fishing rodeo at Beaver Pond. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources works with local organizations to host youth fishing rodeos, providing fun and engaging Read the Rest…
Annual Park Day Event Held April 7 Marylanders can help preserve and maintain historic Civil War sites during the Civil War Trust’s annual Park Day event April 7. Volunteers are needed at Point Lookout State Park in St. Mary’s County to work on the Historic Civil War Fort #3 and Prison Pen area from 9 a.m. to Read the Rest…
Most everyone in the fishing community has heard the news by now: an iconic figure has passed to what he referred to his “spirit spring.” The world will not be the same without Lefty Kreh, the Maryland hometown boy who shook up the fly-fishing world like nobody else ever has or possibly ever will. Lefty Read the Rest…
The Maryland Environmental Trust is hosting the Maryland Land Conservation Conference May 17 at the Maritime Conference Center in Linthicum. The annual conference brings together partners and stakeholders from agriculture, community and local government, conservancies, heritage organizations, land trusts and more for a comprehensive discussion about the future of land conservation in Maryland the broader mid-Atlantic region.
Available to Riparian Homeowners in Dorchester and Wicomico The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free trees to help improve water quality in targeted Lower Eastern Shore communities. Dorchester and Wicomico County landowners who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream or other waterway on or near their property are eligible for free tree seedlings through the department’s Backyard Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will offer a Hunter Safety Education Class April 3, 5 and 7 at Herrington Manor State Park in Oakland. Class times will be 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 3 and 5, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 7. The class is limited to 30 students. Interested participants Read the Rest…
Riparian Homeowners Can Help Improve Water Quality The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree plantings to help improve water quality in targeted communities in Howard and Montgomery counties. Property owners who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream or other waterway on or near their property are eligible for free shrub and tree seedlings through Read the Rest…
We are less than a week from the official first day of spring, and the recent switch to daylight saving time gives us an extra hour of daylight to enjoy some fishing after school or work. Daffodils are blooming and so are the fishing prospects. There is plenty of fun trout fishing to be had, Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has added a one-week extension to the muskrat trapping season in all counties except Allegany, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Howard and Washington. The revised season will now close March 22, 2018, to make up for unfavorable weather conditions. An extremely cold January and more recent tide fluctuations have limited trapper Read the Rest…
Long-Term Monitoring Site to Benefit Public, Resource Managers and Scientists The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and Maryland Department of Natural Resources have announced a five-year partnership to monitor water quality at Mallows Bay on the Potomac River, a site being considered for designation as a national marine sanctuary. The partnership plans for a long-term, continuous Read the Rest…
Washington County man known as “VenomMan20” was criminally charged Friday by Maryland Natural Resources Police with 23 counts of illegal possession of venomous snakes, animal cruelty and reckless endangerment. Brandon Joseph Boyles, 28, of Cascade, had six Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, one seven-foot-long Forest Cobra, one Cape Coral Cobra and two Boomslangs in his apartment when Read the Rest…
Riparian Homeowners Can Help Improve Water Quality The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree plantings to help improve water quality in targeted Anne Arundel communities. County landowners who have a ditch, creek, stream, or other waterway on or near their property are eligible for free tree or shrub seedlings through the department’s Backyard Buffers program. Trees and Read the Rest…
Annual Weeklong Program Offered for Grades 9-12 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources invites high school students with an interest in forestry, fisheries, wildlife or parks management to participate in Natural Resources Careers Camp, July 22-28 at Hickory Environmental Education Center in Garrett County. Experts from a variety of conservation, environmental and natural resources fields will provide Read the Rest…
Mountain Maryland Tradition Continues March 17-18 Cunningham Falls State Park hosts its 48th Annual Maple Syrup Making Demonstrations for a second and final weekend of the year, March 17-18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The festivities will take place in the William Houck Area, located at 14039 Catoctin Hollow Road in Thurmont. Maryland Park Service rangers and volunteers will Read the Rest…
Natural Resources Police Cite Others for Oyster, Striped Bass Violations The deer poacher convicted of killing a massive deer known as “mega-buck” on someone else’s property was sentenced Monday in Kent County Circuit Court. Ronald Wayne Roe, 29, of Worton was convicted in February 2017 of multiple poaching charges in district court and appealed the Read the Rest…
Only Maryland Licensed Tree Experts Should be Hired After the recent late winter storms and high winds, property owners across Maryland are learning the extent of damage to their property. In cases where the cleanup requires a professional to handle the work, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has a few important suggestions homeowners should follow before Read the Rest…
New Library, Audio-Visual Exhibits and Programs Mark Occasion March 10 – 11 The Maryland Park Service is celebrating the first anniversary of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center in Dorchester County March 10 and 11, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Special events are planned throughout the weekend, along with the debut of Read the Rest…
Crews Stocking Waters with 300,000 Fish in 2018 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources anticipates releasing more than 300,000 brown, golden and rainbow trout in lakes, rivers and streams over the next few months, as 2018 is shaping up to be an exciting year for trout fishing in Maryland. The department’s hatchery team began preseason trout Read the Rest…
Public Invited to Provide Feedback on Outdoor Activities, Amenities and Services As part of updating the Maryland Land Preservation and Recreation Plan, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and its partner, GreenPlay, LLC, will be hosting a series of information sessions and workshops to solicit public comment and stakeholder feedback on land conservation and outdoor Read the Rest…
Governor Larry Hogan, Maryland Public Television and Mid Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts Receive Honors The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces individuals and organizations recently recognized by the Park Advisory Commission and Maryland Park Service as outstanding supporters of our state parks. The commission presents the awards annually. Governor Larry Hogan received the Leadership Award of Excellence Read the Rest…
Department Researcher among 14 Co-Authors in National Academy of Sciences Report A new research article published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences analyzes the positive impact of long-term nutrient reductions on an important and valuable ecosystem in the Chesapeake Bay. The research indicates that a resurgence of underwater grasses is due to Read the Rest…
Also, Officers Rescue Dog from Burning Boat, Make Arrests for Stuffed Owls and State Park Damage A Florida man was fined and sentenced Thursday in federal court to probation and community service for illegally transporting snakes and lizards in a case investigated by Maryland Natural Resources Police. William Carl Bartlett, 66, of Eastpoint, was ordered Read the Rest…
Largest Academy Class in Maryland Natural Resources Police History Thirty-four men and women yesterday took the first step to becoming Maryland Natural Resources Police officers when they were sworn in as the agency’s 59th basic recruit class. The class is the largest in the department’s history and is beginning its training as the agency celebrates Read the Rest…
Seeking the Input of Maryland’s Experts – You I have the privilege of working with a dedicated team of experts in the natural sciences. The staff of every unit at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is committed to constantly refining the management of public resources – fisheries, forests, public lands, waterways and wildlife. But Read the Rest…
