« Newer Entries Older Entries »
Maryland hunters harvested 125 black bears during the state’s 21st annual black bear hunt held Oct. 21-26 in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington counties. The 2024 harvest was higher than the previous 5-year average of 104 bears. The 2024 harvest consisted of 52 male and 73 female bears. Total harvest from each county was 80 Read the Rest…
In Western Maryland the foliage season is coming to a close, while trees on the Eastern Shore are hitting a midpoint. Trees in Central Maryland are at peak. “In Anne Arundel, the sun-splashed yellow hickory leaves are sprinkled through the forest canopy. The red black gum are prominent while sweet gum are reddening up,” says Read the Rest…
Mild weather conditions and a full spectrum of fall fishing opportunities await anglers this week from the mountains of Western Maryland to the Atlantic. With the fall fishing season well underway, anglers are encouraged to participate in the Department of Natural Resources’ volunteer angler surveys. This is a chance for anglers to directly help with Read the Rest…
On a brisk September morning, fisheries biologists with the help of an electrofishing pontoon barge and a 12-person net crew waded central Maryland’s most popular self-sustaining brown trout fishery searching for what lies beneath the surface. Between the Prettyboy Reservoir and the Loch Raven Reservoir is a 17-mile stretch of fertile trout habitat, where wild Read the Rest…
Maryland hosted its first-ever Outdoor Recreation Summit in October, bringing together hundreds of outdoor enthusiasts for three days of networking and learning at Rocky Gap State Park. Attendees included academics, park rangers, business owners, students, and nonprofit leaders. The summit provided a chance for professionals to connect and to discuss important topics, such as fostering Read the Rest…
Parts of Western Maryland are past peak foliage for the season, while on the Eastern Shore and Southern Maryland leaves are approaching their midpoint. In Patapsco Valley State Park there are pockets of green, as well as holes in the forest canopy where winds have knocked down foliage. Foliage in Frederick is near its peak. Read the Rest…
Low spawning success documented for sixth consecutive year The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced results of this year’s juvenile striped bass survey, which tracks the reproductive success of Maryland’s state fish in the Chesapeake Bay. The 2024 young-of-year index is 2.0, well below the long-term average of 11.0, and marks the sixth consecutive year Read the Rest…
Whether it’s waterfront farmland , culturally important land where Harriet Tubman resided, a working farm in Baltimore County, or a stretch of quiet woodlands in Western Maryland, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Rural Legacy Program has been protecting it for a quarter century. The Maryland Rural Legacy Program protects the viability of agriculture Read the Rest…
The mornings show signs of the approaching colder weather, but the daytime air temperatures and sunny weather are delightful. Trout anglers are enjoying the fall stocking of trout, while Chesapeake Bay and coastal anglers are focusing on a variety of fish. With the fall fishing season well underway, anglers are encouraged to participate in the Read the Rest…
Jeremy Elmore’s quest to qualify began with an accidental catch, and ended in a small pond Jeremy Elmore of Preston has earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ FishMaryland program. Elmore is the 14th Master Angler since the program began in 2019. The award recognizes recreational anglers who catch Read the Rest…
Funding from DNR’s Program Open Space Local and Rural Legacy programs will support new Edgewater Recreation Center and conservation easements in Southern Maryland The Board of Public Works today approved Maryland Department of Natural Resources items totaling about $2.9 million in grants to local governments and land trusts to improve parks and protect land with Read the Rest…
Welcome to this week’s Fall Foliage Report for the Old Line State – or maybe it’s the Gold Line State. That’s what many of the hickories and birch trees in our state are showing right now – leaves with yellow, golden hues. Overall, foresters and rangers continue to report a lackluster leaf show for 2024. Read the Rest…
Marylanders continue to see temperatures dip as we move our way through October. Fishing could hardly be better for a wide variety of freshwater and saltwater fish. To the delight of trout anglers, the fall trout stocking program has begun. Other anglers set their sights on fish like the invasive flathead catfish. With the fall Read the Rest…
Effort comes as part of state’s new Four Point Oyster Sanctuary Plan The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has selected the next three sites for large-scale oyster restoration in Maryland waters of the Chesapeake Bay, marking the beginning of the state’s next phase of major oyster restoration. The department will conduct oyster restoration and monitoring Read the Rest…
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have awarded the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) two grants through the Chesapeake Watershed Investment for Landscape Defense (Chesapeake WILD) program. Grant funds will support comprehensive conservation strategies including targeted reintroduction efforts for two freshwater fish species listed as species of Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) advises hunters that Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) has been confirmed in Maryland and is the likely cause of death for white-tailed deer reported in numerous counties across the state. EHD is a naturally occurring disease that affects white-tailed deer and, rarely, domestic livestock. The disease poses no threat Read the Rest…
Fan Favorite Winner to Be Chosen on Facebook The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has chosen the winners of the annual Maryland Natural Resource Photo Contest, with the grand prize going to Debby Berlyne for her photo of a green heron at Brookside Gardens.
Science is the foundation of everything we do at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. To emphasize this point, DNR conducted its second annual Science Week from Sept. 23 to 27 to highlight the department’s field experts working to conserve and protect our lands, waters, and wildlife. During this week I traveled more than 500 Read the Rest…
The word “cryptid” evokes visions of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, or Chupacabra. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a cryptid is “a creature that is found in stories and that some people believe exists or say they have seen, but that has never been proven to exist.” Yet. Do we have cryptids in Maryland? Some Read the Rest…
Recent dam removals on the Patapsco River ease their path A thousand or so miles into their migration, some American eels find themselves in the bottom of a bucket. One late summer day, a Maryland Conservation Corps crew took a net to the holding tank at the top of Daniels Dam on the border of Read the Rest…
Casselman River Bridge in Grantsville. Note, due to safety concerns, the 210-year-old bridge is currently closed. Photo by Melissa Nash, Maryland Forest Service. Hallelujah, rain. That is what the trees would say if they could talk. Much of Maryland has been experiencing drought, so this big drink of water will be stupendous for the flora. Read the Rest…
State will select up to five watersheds for a five-year targeted investment for restoration The Whole Watershed Restoration Partnership, created to address multiple conservation goals in the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays and their watersheds, has released a Request for Proposals seeking watershed restoration project proposals to review and consider for state investment across multiple Read the Rest…
The first segment of Maryland’s muzzleloader deer season will be open Oct. 17-19 statewide. Hunters in Region B — the state’s central, southern, and eastern regions — can also use muzzleloaders from Oct. 21-26 for antlerless deer only.
October temperatures and hungry fish are setting the stage for fun fishing adventures. Families and friends are taking advantage of setting out to enjoy the outdoors from western Maryland to our coastal waters. Don’t miss this extraordinary time to enjoy fishing together.
Funding for DNR programs includes upgrades for parks in Howard and Queen Anne’s counties The Board of Public Works today approved Maryland Department of Natural Resources items totaling $3.8 million in grants to local governments to improve parks and acquire park land. A total of $3.5 million in Program Open Space – Local funds were approved Read the Rest…
By Sarah Witcher With cooler fall weather comes some of the most popular times to get outside and enjoy our favorite forms of recreation. Whether that’s camping, hiking, biking, climbing, just parking at a scenic spot to watch the sunset,our activities can and do have a profound effect on the wildlife with whom we share Read the Rest…
By Katy Gorsuch Spiderwebs! Furry legs! The glint of multiple shining eyes! It’s not difficult to see why spiders are so feared: they’re relatively small, possess an unsettling number of legs, and some are venomous to humans. They tend to lurk in dark and unused corners, which may contribute to our sense of alarm when Read the Rest…
By Katy Gorsuch What’s pale like a mushroom, but has flowers like a plant? It isn’t a riddle, but if you happen to see this unusual and ghostly member of the plant kingdom while hiking you may feel that way. Monotropa uniflora goes by many names; ghost flower, ghost or corpse plant, ghost pipe, or Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds residents that black bears are beginning a period of increased feeding activity in preparation for winter hibernation. As the leaves change and the weather cools, bears become more active as they search for food. During this time, bears will travel across roads more frequently. They also can become more attracted to Read the Rest…
By Katy Gorsuch “Then, as he wended his way by swamp and stream and awful woodland, to the farmhouse where he happened to be quartered, every sound of nature, at that witching hour, fluttered his excited imagination,—the moan of the whip-poor-will from the hillside, the boding cry of the tree toad, that harbinger of Read the Rest…
Deer mating season is right around the corner, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds motorists to be vigilant. The shortening of day length, called the photo period, triggers white-tailed deer breeding season. During this time, these deer travel across roads in often unpredictable patterns at all times of the day in search of a mate. Most Read the Rest…
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) issued various citations and made numerous arrests for violations of criminal and natural resource law this summer. Charges filed against individuals include overfishing, theft, weapons violations, spotlighting deer, various incidents at Maryland State Parks, and other crimes.
American beech, yellow birch, witch hazel and sugar maple leaves cover the streambed of Lostland Run in Potomac State Forest. Photo by Scott Campbell. Trees in the Annapolis area are hesitating to show their colors this year, the result of a stressful drought-filled summer. Leaves are changing from green to yellow and brown, absent are Read the Rest…
Each year thousands of monarch butterflies flutter through Maryland on their migration to Mexico, but scientists have learned something shocking about their stay in the Old Line State – they are not getting enough to eat. “As a hostess that embarrasses me because if you’re going to come to my house, I’m gonna feed you,” Read the Rest…
Little by little, summer is losing its grip on the Maryland landscape, with cooler nights and milder daytime temperatures. Fish feel it too, and they are feeding aggressively and putting on body stores for what lies ahead. A perfect example are the bluefish in the Chesapeake Bay that are large and fat.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that squirrel, rabbit, fall turkey, and other small game seasons are either underway or set to open in the coming weeks. Some of these species offer generous seasons and bag limits and are abundant throughout Maryland.
Hatcheries are shifting towards stocking larger trout in response to angler input The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will begin fall trout stocking in early October as soon as water levels and temperatures are acceptable for trout. Department crews will transport thousands of state hatchery-raised brown, golden rainbow, and rainbow trout and release them Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will host the inaugural Outdoor Recreation Summit from October 9-11 at Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Allegany County. A series of engaging panels, presentations, and outdoor excursions will highlight experts in outdoor recreation. The event will also provide networking opportunities, and enable attendees to explore the beauty of Read the Rest…
Welcome to the Maryland Fall Foliage Report for 2024. Fall officially begins on Sunday, September 22 at 8:44 a.m. Many of Maryland’s trees are changing color earlier than usual this year due to drought. Marylanders can also expect to see more yellow and gold tones, and fewer reds and purples. Forester Melissa Nash in Garrett Read the Rest…
September is a very special month in Maryland for anglers; the weather is pleasant, and water temperatures are slowly cooling. Fish everywhere – in the freshwater areas, the Chesapeake Bay, and the ocean waters – are becoming more active.
A study conducted by Maryland Department of Natural Resources Biologist Dr. Joseph Love illuminates one of the biological factors that could be contributing to Chesapeake Channa’s efficient spread through Maryland’s waters. The study, published in the July 2024 edition of Northeastern Naturalist, found that the majority of female Chesapeake Channa, also known as northern snakehead, Read the Rest…
The Maryland Forest Service invites the public to a question-and-answer session about sustainable state forest management on the Eastern Shore from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. October 16 at the Manokin Pavilion in Pocomoke River State Park. Staff will share information on the Forest Service’s sustainable forest management plan and facts about Pocomoke State Forest Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is hosting “Women on the Water,” a free introductory workshop on boating and fishing for women and girls aged 12 and older, at Seneca Creek State Park on Sept. 26 from 4 to 7 p.m. New or returning boaters and anglers can receive information about boating education and opportunities, Read the Rest…
Fishing is often about the adventure of exploring a new place to fish, or the challenge of fishing for a new species, and it always helps when you have the company of family or friends. Landon Derbyshire of Eden, Maryland recently became became the 13th FishMaryland Master Angler and only the second youth angler Read the Rest…
News from the Office of Gov. Wes Moore ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Wes Moore today presided over a meeting where the Board of Public Works approved the purchase of an exceptional 42-acre lodge property surrounded by Savage River State Forest in Garrett County. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources was approved to purchase the property—which also includes Read the Rest…
Funding approved for DNR’s Program Open Space Local, Community Parks and Playgrounds, and Rural Legacy programs The Board of Public Works today approved Maryland Department of Natural Resources items totaling $4 million in grants to local governments and land trusts to improve parks and protect land with perpetual conservation easements. A total of $1.3 million Read the Rest…
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz and Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn toured water quality projects and explored opportunities for new and improved trail connections at a joint event in Maryland and Pennsylvania on Tuesday. The event also served as a way for the two state Read the Rest…
Three facilities meet standards to improve local water quality and help restore the Chesapeake Bay The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has certified Hartge Yacht Harbor of Galesville, Anne Arundel County; Tradewinds Marina of Middle River, Baltimore County; and Lighthouse Point Marina of Baltimore City as the newest Maryland Clean Marinas. The department awards this Read the Rest…
Five Maryland jurisdictions were recently awarded a combined $4.8 million in federal grant funding through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. These funds will support diverse projects, including the development of a new park in Caroline County, the expansion of athletic facilities in Taneytown Memorial Park, and the refurbishment of a campground in Baltimore City. Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources launched a new pilot program this year that awarded $27,000 to four different outdoor recreation activities and opportunities in Maryland’s underserved communities.
