Drone mapping observes dune changes at Assateague Island The impact of rising seas, stronger storms, and an eroding shoreline might leave the future of Assateague Island up in the air – and that’s exactly where the Department of Natural Resources is monitoring the coastal property with the use of aerial drones. Unique among Maryland’s public Read the Rest…
Community reports in MyCoast app reveal extent of flooding across the state On Jan. 9, Maryland was hit by a storm that brought intense rain, strong winds and high tides. It resulted in the most active week yet for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ MyCoast MD app. The app allows users to submit reports Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is expanding the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) permanent easement program statewide for the preservation of agricultural land and protection of waterways. Previously these easements were available in nine Maryland counties; now, landowners across Maryland with existing federal CREP contracts can participate in this significant land conservation program. The Read the Rest…
The Maryland Forest Service is offering a new grant program to distribute $4.8 million in federal Inflation Reduction Act funds towards urban and community forestry projects during the next four years. The Community Forestry Catalyst Fund expands resources for Maryland’s ambitious commitment to enhance its forest cover and tree canopy through the state’s 5 Million Read the Rest…
Tim Campbell is the fifth angler to receive the award, and second in a year Tim Campbell of Phoenix, Baltimore County, has earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ FishMaryland program. The award recognizes recreational anglers who legally catch ten different species of fish in Maryland at trophy-size length. Read the Rest…
Final Opportunity for Deer Hunters for the 2023-24 Season The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces the state’s Primitive Deer Hunt will be open Feb. 1-3 statewide. Hunters with a valid hunting license, or those exempt from the hunting license requirement, may use primitive bows or muzzleloaders to hunt sika and white-tailed deer during these days. Primitive hunting devices Read the Rest…
Annual contest taking submissions until March 1, 2024 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Forest Conservancy District Boards invite all Maryland fifth graders in private and public schools to participate in the annual Arbor Day Poster Contest. The theme for 2024 is: “Trees Are Terrific…in All Shapes and Sizes!” to celebrate the importance of diversity of tree species within Read the Rest…
DNR oversees dozens of controlled fires annually to manage Maryland woodland areas It was a chilly morning in the Frederick Watershed and the woods were quiet and peaceful. Without the sound of even a passing bird, a stillness filled the air between the nearly bare trees. But at the intersection of two rocky roads deep Read the Rest…
Program in its fourth year and supports more than 20 projects statewide The Friends of Maryland State Parks recently awarded 24 grants totaling $41,798 to Maryland State Parks statewide through the advocacy organization’s program, “Small Grants, Big Impact!” These funds will enable staff to collaborate with community partners to provide information on Maryland’s cultural history, Read the Rest…
Long-standing record is tied with 1.0-pound fish caught in Susquehanna River The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recognizes Thomas Over Jr. of Darlington as a new state record holder for rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) in the Chesapeake Division. Over caught a 1.0-pound rock bass January 6 in the lower Susquehanna River. Over was fishing with Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will plant about 147 million oyster spat, or juvenile oysters, on 41 acres in Anne Arundel County waters with mitigation funds from the 2022 grounding of M/V Ever Forward on an upper Chesapeake Bay oyster bar. On March 13, 2022, the 1,095-foot Ever Forward container ship ran aground Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is offering the state’s first-ever Youth-Only Trout Fishing Day for children under 16 years of age on March 23, one week before opening day for all trout anglers.
Welcoming a New Year to expand on our successes at the Department of Natural Resources We’re kicking off 2024 on a hopeful note at the Department of Natural Resources thanks to positive signs in two important indicators for the health of the Chesapeake Bay–dissolved oxygen and oysters. One of the primary indicators of the Bay’s Read the Rest…
Strong oyster reproduction observed in Maryland waters The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Fall Oyster Survey recorded a remarkable year for juvenile oysters in Maryland waters, finding both prolific numbers and a widespread distribution throughout many regions of the Chesapeake Bay. The survey’s spatfall intensity index, a measure of reproductive success and potential population growth Read the Rest…
Easy-to-use app helps government officials understand extent of flooding and then plan response and mitigation efforts A rain storm’s a-brewing and Maryland needs your help to document flooding. Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently launched the new MyCoast Maryland app that enables people to easily upload photos of flood conditions in their neighborhood during Read the Rest…
Maryland’s youth hunters, veterans, and military personnel can experience the excitement of this season’s second special waterfowl hunting day; Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. A previous hunting day was held in November.
Maryland hunters who did not harvest a turkey during the fall will have another chance to do so during winter season, which runs statewide from Jan. 18-20. Hunting hours are from one half-hour before sunrise to one half-hour after sunset. The bag limit is one turkey of either sex.
Marylanders begin 2024 enjoying the great outdoors A total of 4,248 people hiked about 10,691 miles during First Day Hikes in 40 different Maryland state parks on New Year’s weekend, according to data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Between Dec. 31, 2023 and Jan. 1, 2024, park rangers led 47 scheduled hikes Read the Rest…
Last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce notified Maryland Gov. Wes Moore that it has declined Maryland’s request for a federal commercial fisheries disaster declaration that was sought to help address the economic and ecological damage caused by the spread of invasive catfish and snakeheads in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Maryland made the unique request Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and partners have been awarded a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Chesapeake Watershed Investment for Landscape Defense (Chesapeake WILD) program to restore freshwater mussels in the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. The grant funds will support a comprehensive conservation strategy that includes restoration of Read the Rest…
Maryland Forestry Service looks at exciting developments ahead in 5 Million Trees Initiative At the start of the new year, the 5 Million Trees Initiative is approaching a milestone, with nearly half a million trees planted. More than 180,000 trees were planted in Maryland in 2023 as part of the initiative, bringing the total number Read the Rest…
At a time when water was the most efficient mode of transportation, the lighthouse stood alone, often in isolation in remote, far-off locations. Eighty-two once marked the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, 45 of them in Maryland. Their sole purpose was to guide boats, goods and people to safety. Today, 24 lighthouses and one replica Read the Rest…
