Annapolis Resident and Team Mount 8-Hour Fight to Land Record Fish An Anne Arundel County angler is now the first officially recognized state record holder for swordfish, which he caught in a tournament July 23 at Ocean City. Annapolis resident Peter Schultz, 36, is the first record holder for the Atlantic division – Swordfish (Xiphias Read the Rest…
Proficiency Tests Necessary to Participate in Lottery for Hunts The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has released the 2021-2022 Shooter Qualification Schedule, which includes 20 qualification sessions at 10 locations across the state. Additional events are available upon reservation.
The striped bass fishery will reopen Sunday, August 1. During the closure, anglers are targeting alternate species such as catfish, perch, spotted sea trout, red drum, bluefish, cobia, and Spanish mackerel. Sea bass have been a reliable target fish for ocean anglers with the warm weather and calm seas. Throughout the summer, be sure to Read the Rest…
Annual Report Shows Overall Decline with Improvement in Several Areas The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reports a third consecutive year of underwater grass loss in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay in 2020. During the annual survey, 34,882 acres of underwater grasses were mapped in Maryland, representing 44% of the state’s 2025 restoration Read the Rest…
With the striped bass fishery currently closed, anglers are targeting alternate species such as catfish, perch, spotted sea trout, red drum, bluefish, cobia, and Spanish mackerel. Anglers are reminded that the striped bass fishery is closed in the Chesapeake Bay until August 1 to lessen catch-and-release mortalities of undersized striped bass. Throughout the summer be Read the Rest…
Three Garrett County men were convicted of multiple counts of deer poaching and had their hunting privileges suspended following charges filed by the Maryland Natural Resources Police for the illegal killing of an albino deer in fall 2020.
State Reminds Residents to Observe Wildlife from a Safe Distance and to Not Feed or Pet Wild Animals Each year during the spring and summer months, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) receive reports of captive wildlife situations in which residents attempt to care for or possess Read the Rest…
Conservation Partnership Deploys ‘Island’ for Colonial Nesting Waterbirds The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Audubon Mid-Atlantic, and Maryland Coastal Bays Program are partnering in research and monitoring efforts to preserve three of Maryland’s state endangered colonial nesting waterbirds — the common tern, royal tern, and black skimmer.
Initiative Funded to Promote Wildlife and Fire Protection, Wood Markets The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service has awarded funding of $280,852 to the Maryland Forest Service to work with the University of Maryland Extension and many public and private partners across the Delmarva Peninsula to establish a new training and outreach program, the Delmarva Read the Rest…
Department Accepting Grant Applications from Governments, Nonprofits The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the Grants Gateway application is open for local governments and organizations for Fiscal Year 2023, which begins July 1, 2022. Through this process, funding is available for projects that restore local waterways, increase communities’ resilience to climate change and storm impacts, Read the Rest…
The Maryland Natural Resources Police recently charged several individuals throughout the state for illegal activities including weapons charges at a state park, operating watercraft while intoxicated, illegal fishing, and more.
Dissolved Oxygen Best on Record for Early June Data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Old Dominion University show that dissolved oxygen conditions in the Chesapeake Bay mainstem of Maryland and Virginia were better than average in June 2021. The hypoxic water volume — areas with less than 2 mg/l oxygen Read the Rest…
Summer heat is upon us and many are seeking relief near waters across the state, from cool mountain streams of Western Maryland to the surf and offshore sites of the Atlantic Ocean. This is a good opportunity to seek and pursue the wide variety of fish found in our waters. The Maryland Department of Natural Read the Rest…
Online Lottery, Virtual Appointments To License Blind Sites The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now offering an online-only process for Maryland hunters to apply for a 2021-2022 waterfowl blind site license. From now through July 26 at 11:59 p.m., hunters may enter the lottery for the opening days of blind site licensing through the department’s Compass portal. Hunters Read the Rest…
Application Deadline Aug. 31; Drawing Sept. 3 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now accepting applications for the 2021 black bear hunt lottery. Successful applicants will receive a permit valid for the five-day hunting season which will take place Oct. 25-29 in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties. The department will issue 950 hunting permits this year.
Leaving a Positive Impact in our Wake I was saddened to hear of the passing of Dr. Sarah Taylor-Rogers, former Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary, Maryland Environmental Trust board member, and longtime leader and champion of environmental stewardship in Maryland. Dr. Taylor-Rogers was the first woman to head our department and her public service Read the Rest…
Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund Supports 123 Unique Sites Governor Larry Hogan today announced the award of $22 million to 25 ecological restoration projects that will improve water quality and habitat in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, while building local resilience to climate impacts. These awards encompass 123 unique sites that will be restored Read the Rest…
July is providing some exciting promise for Chesapeake Bay anglers as reports of cobia, bluefish, and Spanish mackerel entering the lower Bay are becoming more common. Offshore of the Atlantic Coast, fishing for sea bass is excellent right now. Anglers are reminded of the upcoming striped bass closure period in the Chesapeake Bay from July Read the Rest…
Technology Provides Environmental Data for Offshore Wind The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES), and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have launched an ocean buoy that monitors and provides daily reports of whales detected off Maryland’s Atlantic coast. A wide range of whales, dolphins, Read the Rest…
Young Adults Can Gain Practical Experience and Skills Training The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now recruiting members for the Maryland Conservation Corps, an award-winning AmeriCorps program that engages young adults aged 17-25 in extensive conservation, environmental and natural resources management projects across the state. The department seeks to hire 35 full-time members who Read the Rest…
Update as of August 17, 2021 In late May, wildlife managers in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and other states began receiving reports of sick and dying birds. Several passerine bird species have been affected. No human health or domestic animal (pets, livestock and poultry) issues have been documented. As of mid-August, Read the Rest…
Funds Support Planning and Design of Green Infrastructure Solutions The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the award of $415,000 to seven climate resilience projects to help communities prepare for, and recover from, climate-related impacts. These competitive grants are designed to help communities plan and design solutions to withstand flooding and other weather-related events. Read the Rest…
Funding Supports Projects Fostering Science and Stewardship for Students The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced $160,000 in awards for student and youth outdoor science and watershed education in the state. The following schools and nonprofit organizations will receive funding during Fiscal Year 2022.
Campaign Highlights Importance of Sobriety on the Waterways As part of a nationally coordinated effort to educate boaters about the dangers of boating while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the Maryland Natural Resources Police will participate in the annual Operation Dry Water campaign. This campaign aims to reduce the number of alcohol and Read the Rest…
