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NRP Veteran Officer Assumes Role of Second-in-Command The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) today announced that 29-year department veteran Robert C. Kersey will serve as deputy superintendent of the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) effective immediately.
Emergency Responders Helped Prevent A Different Kind of ‘Wildfire’ Maryland’s interagency firefighters and emergency medical technicians, usually deployed to help fight wildland fires nationwide, have completed several deployments to assist mass COVID vaccination efforts in Maryland and other East Coast states. Maryland provided 20 Incident Management Team members and Emergency Medical Technicians to staff this Read the Rest…
Summer is in full swing and those who have been sequestered by pandemic, work, or school are flocking to the outdoors. Maryland State Parks are having another busy season, and just viewing the weekend traffic headed towards the beaches or western mountains makes it clear folks want to get out and do something. Many Marylanders Read the Rest…
Did you know? Over 2,600 species of moths can be found in Maryland! While large, showy species like the Luna Moth are often thought about, Maryland moths are extremely diverse, and many are very small (aka micro moths). Moths serve different ecological roles such as pollinating plants and feeding other organisms like birds. In addition, Read the Rest…
Black walnut (Juglans nigra) is a stately tree with an oval to round crown that looks great in front yards. It is part of the walnut family (Juglandaceae) which also includes pecans and hickories. It has long been used for food, dye, and as a highly prized wood source.
Have you seen one of Maryland’s showiest moth species, the rosy maple moth? This colorful moth is one of the smaller silk moths in the family Saturniidae.
During this time of year, box turtles are on the move. Why? They are looking for love and are laying eggs. These mid-sized turtles often don’t travel far from their typical homes, but they will cross roads and other obstacles to get back to their breeding grounds.
Participants Can Support Nature and Win Park Prizes The Maryland Park Service is challenging Marylanders everywhere to join a new tradition — Create Your Own State Park at home! Begun during the pandemic in 2020, this innovative series of activities — with prizes available for participants — teaches Marylanders how to provide their own place Read the Rest…
Black Bears Roam Far and Wide in Seasonal Movements Throughout June and July, visitors and residents of Maryland’s bear country may encounter more bear sightings than they would at other times of the year. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is receiving active reports of bears in suburban counties, which is a normal occurrence Read the Rest…
All of us at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources wish all the dads and grandfathers out there an enjoyable Father’s Day this Sunday, June 20. A major part of this celebration for many is spending time outdoors — including a lot of fishing — with their youngsters. The last Maryland license-free fishing day for Read the Rest…
As more people head outside for warm weather activities, Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) have remained busy protecting the state’s wildlife, fisheries, and public lands. The following individuals were recently cited for a variety of conservation law offenses in Maryland:
Summer weather is upon us and many are seeking a little relief near water. That little bit of sanctuary can range from enjoying the ocean waters of Ocean City and Assateague Island to exploring small creeks and streams from Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has two more free Read the Rest…
Celebrating the Great Outdoors June is Great Outdoors Month so the Maryland Department of Natural Resources invites you to join us in celebrating outdoor recreation in Maryland! This month also marks Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week (June 5 through the 13) which fits in nicely given that this year’s theme is celebrating recreational opportunities in the Read the Rest…
Month-long Season Started with Youth Hunt Maryland hunters harvested 3,910 wild turkeys during the spring 2021 regular and junior turkey seasons, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported. This year’s harvest was 9% below the record harvest of 4,303 set in 2020, but still 4% above the 10-year average.
Living Shoreline and Wetland Installation in Anne Arundel County The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announces resilient shoreline and wetland features are being installed at the West River United Methodist Center, a camp and outdoor recreation facility in southern Anne Arundel County. This groundbreaking is the first of numerous projects supported by Governor Hogan’s Read the Rest…
Help Turtles Cross the Road, But Keep them Wild Wild turtles are currently heading to their breeding and nesting sites throughout Maryland. During this time of year, wild turtles can often be seen crossing roads and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources urges drivers to be cautious and give turtles a “brake.” Common turtles found on Read the Rest…
Funds Support Market Opportunities for Forest Products Industry The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Maryland Forest Service has been awarded nearly $250,000 for a Wood Innovations Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop priority projects with the Maryland Wood Energy Team. This partnership with the Maryland Clean Energy Center, Maryland Department Read the Rest…
One of the most important lessons in any kind of fishing is the value of eternal hope — and that no matter the conditions, you do not stand a chance of catching a fish unless you have a line in the water. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has some free fishing days coming up, which Read the Rest…
An Eye to the Skies Can Avoid Disaster Boating in Maryland is an enjoyable and exciting experience, but it can quickly turn into disappointment or even disaster for boaters who fail to check the weather before departing shore. Every summer, the Maryland Natural Resources Police responds to multiple boating accidents due to rough waves and Read the Rest…
Waterway Users Urged to Report Summer Aquatic Visitors As summer approaches, marine wildlife — dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, whales, and others – are making their seasonal return to the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries, as well as the Atlantic coastal bays. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds anyone who has seen either a Read the Rest…
DNR Raising Awareness on Keeping Parks Clean and Green Maryland State Parks have surpassed visitation records the past two years, and 2021 is on track to meet or exceed these unprecedented numbers. Although visitation to Maryland’s parks is traditionally heavy in spring, numbers ramp up even more significantly during the Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial Read the Rest…
‘Deputized’ Ambassadors Help Promote Maryland Outdoor Recreation A hunting outfitter, a nonprofit running club, a special needs sports facility, and an outdoors television program have been named Maryland Outdoor Recreation Ambassadors in Wicomico County for their efforts to promote and expand access to the state’s outdoor recreation opportunities. Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz and Read the Rest…
Annual Event Spawns New Generation of ‘Living Fossils’ Maryland’s shores welcome back the annual return of the horseshoe crab – Limulus polyphemus — in one of the world’s oldest and largest wildlife migrations. For an estimated 350 million years, these prehistoric creatures have migrated into Maryland’s coastal bays from their winter habitats to spawn along Read the Rest…
The Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and families and friends will be celebrating with picnics and family gatherings in the great outdoors. We should all take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of the occasion and remember those who sacrificed everything to assure us the freedoms we all enjoy. Many Marylanders and Read the Rest…
Recruitment Down but Spawning Stock Remains at Above Average Levels The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the results of the 2021 Blue Crab Winter Dredge Survey, a cooperative effort with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, which annually estimates the number of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay. The 2021 results showed that Read the Rest…
Opportunity for New and Returning Anglers Statewide The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces upcoming license-free fishing days for 2021 on June 5, June 12, and July 4 — a free option to explore Maryland’s diverse and unique fishing experiences without needing a fishing license, trout stamp, or registration. Maryland hosts license-free fishing days annually Read the Rest…
There are few joys more satisfying than seeing the excitement of a child enjoying the wonders of nature — and especially fishing. Sharing the experience with a young and new angler is a lasting moment for any parent or mentor. Please join us May 27 at noon for a Maryland Fishing Roundtable webinar with guest Read the Rest…
Maryland Environmental Trust, Lower Shore Land Trust Receive Grant The Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) and Lower Shore Land Trust, Inc. (LSLT) were jointly awarded a grant from the Land Trust Alliance and The Nature Conservancy-California to pilot state-of-the-art technology for monitoring land conservation easements. This grant will allow LSLT and MET to use a new Read the Rest…
Waters Protected by Limits on Waste Discharge from Boats The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that the Chester River and its tributaries are now a No Discharge Zone, an area of water where the discharge of all boat sewage — even when treated by a sanitation device — is prohibited. The U.S. The Environmental Read the Rest…
Maryland Public-Private Partnership Puts Invasive Fish to Good Use The Conowingo Dam employs fish lifts to help migrating fish species navigate the Susquehanna River to their spawning grounds, but the lifts also catch unwelcomed fish – invasive catfish and snakehead. Through a public-private partnership between the Maryland Department of Resources (DNR), dam owner Exelon Corp., Read the Rest…
The Maryland outdoors has many beautiful treasures to behold for those who look. It can be a quiet time sitting on a river bank watching nature, gazing upon the Chesapeake Bay, or hiking up a mountain stream and soaking up all that nature can share. Few fish in Maryland are as beautiful and treasured as Read the Rest…
Applications Must Be Submitted or Postmarked by May 31 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now accepting offshore waterfowl blind and shoreline license applications for riparian (waterfront) properties. Anyone who owns such property, or someone granted permission by the owner, may license their shoreline to establish offshore stationary blind sites for hunting waterfowl, and/or Read the Rest…
