Natural Resources News
Maryland Fishing Report – April 17
Tim Wills was out on the Bay recently fishing for blue catfish with his friends and enjoyed a great day on the water together. Photo by Bob Neighoff
We are in store for some nice weather this week, so be sure to get outdoors and enjoy some of the many fishing opportunities in Maryland. Trout fishing is bolstered with continuing stockings, other freshwater species are active, and blue catfish can be found in every tidal water of the Chesapeake Bay.
Orlando D. Lilly Sworn In As New Superintendent of Natural Resources Police
Col. Orlando Lilly is pinned by his son, wearing his Natural Resources Police badge for the first time at his swearing in ceremony. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) formally welcomed Orlando D. Lilly as the 11th Superintendent of the Maryland Natural Resources Police on Wednesday. The former Baltimore County Police Major and Navy veteran was sworn in at DNR headquarters in Annapolis. Lilly assumes the rank of Colonel. Read more…
Board of Public Works Approves $14.8 Million to Preserve Outdoor Space for Marylanders
Program Open Space, Rural Legacy among programs funded
Oregon Ridge Park in Baltimore County will receive funds for new trails. Photo by Brittini Adams, submitted to the 2018 Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
The Board of Public Works today approved Maryland Department of Natural Resources items including more than $14.8 million in grants to local governments and land trusts to preserve and protect land, and provide recreation opportunities for Marylanders. Read more…
Maryland Forest Service Names 2024 Arbor Day Poster Contest Winners
Comptroller Brooke Lierman joins DNR as guest judge
This illustration by Edison Lee of Rockford Elementary School in Elkridge, Howard County won first place in the 2024 Maryland Fifth Grade Arbor Day Poster Contest.
The top three prizes have been awarded for the 2024 Maryland Fifth Grade Arbor Day poster contest, sponsored by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Maryland Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman joined DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz and staff to review submissions and award three Maryland schools with tree plantings this spring.
Edison Lee of Rockburn Elementary School in Elkridge, Howard County won first place and the school will receive 15 trees for planting. Second place, with a prize of 10 trees, was awarded to Riya Dholakia of Emmorton Elementary School in Bel Air, Harford County. Grace Birch of Chesapeake Public Charter School in Lexington Park, St. Mary’s County won third place and a prize of five trees. Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report – April 10
Joey Davis caught this white catfish – qualifying him for a FishMaryland award certificate – in an upper Bay tidal river. Photo by Lora Davis
Maryland anglers are taking advantage of pleasant weather to fish for a variety of species this week. Trout, largemouth bass, and blue catfish are at the top of the list, but fun fishing is where you find it.
Secretary’s Message: Welcoming Back our Birds, Bees… and Bears!
Welcoming Back our Birds, Bees… and Bears!
During bear den visits, DNR staff hold cubs to keep them warm while biologists and veterinarians tag and evaluate the sow. Photo by AJ Metcalf, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
We are surrounded by the sights and sounds of wildlife emerging at the beginning of spring. It’s the time of the year when we hear more birds singing in the budding trees and animals becoming more active. But perhaps the biggest sign of spring, lumbering through many parts of our state, is the black bear.
In many places, black bears have already emerged from winter dens, putting their powerful sense of smell to work in search of easily accessible food sources. Bears are most common in Maryland’s four westernmost counties – Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, and Washington, which is known as Maryland’s bear country. However, they can be found anywhere in central and southern Maryland, particularly during spring when young male bears tend to wander into new areas looking for a chance to establish their own territory. These are the bears that often find themselves making news with appearances in suburban neighborhoods, mall parking lots, and even urban centers like Washington, D.C. Read more…
Federal Funds Available for Outdoor Recreation Space in Maryland Communities
Land and Water Conservation Fund provides up to $1.5 Million for qualifying projects
The Maryland Department of the Natural Resources is now accepting preliminary applications for the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund grant program. Through this program, local governments with qualifying projects may apply for $50,000 to $1.5 million to create new outdoor recreation spaces, reinvigorate existing parks, and create connections between people and the outdoors.
The department is accepting applications through June 28, 2024. Potential applicants are invited to a webinar at noon on April 23 to learn more about the process. Additional details and application information are available on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Land and Water Conservation Fund webpage.
DNR will review preliminary applications and invite the highest scoring applicants to create a final application package to be submitted to the National Park Service.
Municipalities and counties that qualify can then apply for up to 50% matching fund assistance from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Local matching funds can include money received from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources through the Program Open Space – Local or Community Parks and Playgrounds programs.
Interested jurisdictions should complete and submit project documentation to Molly Pickel at molly.pickel@maryland.gov.
Black Bears Emerging from Winter Dens, Looking for Food
Marylanders Urged to Keep Bears Wild
Photo by Nathaniel Peck submitted to the 2023 Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
As spring gets underway in western and central Maryland, black bears have already vacated their dens and started exploring the areas around them. After months of not eating or drinking, bears are hungry and in search of easy food. Black bears rely on their powerful sense of smell to locate food and are attracted to anything that resembles the scent of food, like birdseed, chicken feed, dog food and even trash. Read more…
Join the Hunt: How to Catch a Blue Catfish in Maryland
Angler Melissa Blair caught a 32-inch blue catfish at Kent Narrows Bridge in April 2021. Photo by Tristan Bapst
The bad news: Blue catfish can be easily found in a majority of Maryland’s rivers, both tidal and non-tidal and out in the Bay itself, and they eat almost anything.
The good news: Blue catfish can be easily found in a majority of Maryland’s rivers, both tidal and non-tidal and in the Bay itself, and they eat almost anything.
For anglers, blue catfish have become an attractive target because they are challenging to catch, but not elusive. They can be fished with light tackle from shore or on a boat. They can be found easily and are attracted to a variety of bait. Read more…
Maryland’s Spring Turkey Season Set to Open
Junior Hunt begins April 13; regular season starts April 18
Photo by Leonardo Pecora, submitted to the 2021 Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces that the statewide spring wild turkey season will kick off April 13 with Junior Turkey Hunt Day. All hunters can hunt during the regular spring turkey season, which begins April 18 and continues through May 23. Read more…
Maryland Natural Resources Police Honors Officers at Annual Awards Ceremony
Officers were awarded for lifesaving action, exceptional conservation enforcement, and more
Officer Albert Leavell (center) is presented the 2023 Natural Resources Police Officer of the Year Award. Also pictured are Acting Lt. Col. Brian Rathgeb (left) and Sec. Josh Kurtz (right). Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police held its annual award ceremony to recognize the achievements made by conservation law enforcement officers and civilians in 2023. The officers were presented honors by Maryland Department of Natural Resources Sec. Josh Kurtz and Natural Resources Police Acting Lt. Col. Brian Rathgeb. The annual event was held April 3 at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills.
“The Department of Natural Resources is proud to recognize the dedicated men and women of the Natural Resources Police who passionately protect and serve our state,” said Sec. Kurtz. “Our officers maintain the highest level of professional standards, integrity, and conduct, and it’s important to recognize those who go above and beyond.”
DNR Accepting Applications for Marina Pumpout Grants through April 15
Photo by Susan Hale, submitted to the 2019 Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is currently accepting applications from marinas for grants to support the operations and maintenance of marine sewage pumpout stations. Interested marinas can find the application form online. The deadline for submissions is April 15, 2024.
Marinas in need of a new or replacement pumpout system can apply for a separate grant throughout the year. Details are also found on the department’s website.
The Marine Sewage Pumpout Grant program aims to assist marinas in providing reliable pumpout services to local boaters. These pumpout stations offer boaters a proper and legally compliant method of disposing of their sewage, helping to prevent contamination of Maryland’s waters. The department actively supports the installation and operation of these stations as part of an overarching strategy to reduce nutrient levels in the Chesapeake Bay. Read more…
What Anglers Can Do After Harvesting An Invasive Fish Species Such As Blue Catfish or Northern Snakehead
Anglers who catch invasive species in Maryland waters have multiple options to make use of the fish
Catch and release of blue catfish, flathead catfish, and northern snakehead is discouraged as they are harmful to native species. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
Invasive species can have detrimental effects on ecologically and economically important native species. Once invasive species establish themselves in an ecosystem, they can reproduce in such numbers that it becomes hugely expensive, or even impossible, to eradicate all of them. For that reason, habitat and wildlife managers aim to minimize the harm caused by invasive species by reducing populations or containing them in a specific area.
Offshore Hunting Blind and Shoreline Licensing for Riparian Landowners is Now Open for 2024 Season
Applications Must Be Postmarked by May 31, 2024
Photo courtesy of Jake McPherson, Ducks Unlimited
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife and Heritage Service is now accepting waterfowl offshore blind and shoreline license applications for waterfront, or riparian, property owners.
Landowners, or anyone who has been granted permission from the riparian property owner, may license their shoreline. An offshore blind and shoreline license will establish offshore stationary blinds or blind sites for hunting waterfowl, and/or will prevent others from licensing and hunting the shoreline at a later date.
Applicants must submit paperwork and fees by mail, postmarked no later than May 31, 2024. Property owners may license their shoreline for one year at $20 or three years at $60. Landowners who miss the May 31 deadline may participate in the “open” licensing process that begins August 6, 2024. Read more…
Blue Catfish Are Spreading Rapidly in Maryland Waters, as State Officials and the Fishing Community Work To Contain the Invasive Species
The invasive species is quickly becoming abundant in Maryland rivers
Blue catfish are big, fast predators that spread quickly and can tolerate salinity. Now in all Maryland’s major rivers, blue cats are preying on and outcompeting native fish. Photo by Winn Brewer, DNR
The first catch of the afternoon was a white catfish—saved by its wider head and a few less anal fin rays, and tossed back into the water.
The blue catfish came next—two in quick succession. “It only takes a few minutes for them to start biting,” said Capt. Marcus Wilson, whose Rock-N-Robin Charter Fishing, operated together with Capt. Robin Payne, runs blue catfishing trips on the Potomac River several months of the year.
It ended up being a slower day for the charter boat, but they often catch 50 blue catfish at a go. And with no catch limits, customers end up bringing home a lot of fish.
Anglers across the state are seeing more and more blue catfish, an invasive species that only reached Maryland waters in the 1990s and 2000s. Eric Packard, a recreational fisherman and a member of Maryland’s Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission, described it as “bizarre” how many blue catfish you can catch. Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report – April 3
Matt Ferenschak took his son and his son’s friend trout fishing and although the boys both caught their limits, dad had to show them how it’s done with his trophy-sized rainbow trout. Photo by Tyler Ferenschak.
Trout anglers enjoyed their traditional opening day last Saturday and the fun fishing will continue for the next few months, as stocking crews release more trout into Maryland’s put-and-take waters.
Forest Service Prepares for a Surge of Spring Tree Plantings as It Celebrates Maryland Arbor Day
The Board of Public Works celebrates Maryland Arbor Day, April 3, 2023. From left to right: Maryland Forest Service Associate Director J.T. Bowers; Treasurer Dereck E. Davis, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman, Maryland DNR Secretary Josh Kurtz, Maryland Forest Service Director Anne Hairston Strang. Photo by Kamil Williams, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Governor Wes Moore proclaimed April 3, 2024 as the 141th annual Maryland Arbor Day celebration. Following tradition, Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz presented tree seedlings to the members of the Board of Public Works at their meeting, chaired today by Lt. Governor Aruna Miller.
“One of the most important things about Arbor Day is people coming together to plant trees,” Secretary Kurtz said. “Thank you for your recognition and support of Arbor Day.”
The celebration comes as the Maryland Forest Service is preparing to ramp up tree plantings for the spring, marking the start of another amplified planting season of Maryland’s 5 Million Trees initiative.
The initiative, which has nearly surpassed half a million trees, has a goal of planting 5 million native trees on Maryland’s public and private land by 2031. The Maryland Forest Service is making preparations for a spring of even greater productivity, with about 100,000 trees scheduled to be planted in partnership with the Maryland Park Service alone and many other sites identified for plantings. Read more…
Allegany County Angler Catches Maryland State Record Fallfish
Record 3.2-pound fish reeled in from upper Potomac River
Blake Cronk with his Maryland state record fallfish, photo courtesy of Blake Cronk.
Blake Cronk, of Westernport, has been recognized by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources as a new state record holder for fallfish – Semotilus corporalis — in the state’s nontidal division.
Cronk caught the 3.2-pound fish on April 1 while fishing in the North Branch of the Potomac River, below the Piedmont Bridge in the Westernport area. He was fishing with worms and spinners in an area where he had caught several good-sized trout, and is also known to have frequent occurrences of large fallfish. Read more…
Shrinkwrap Recycling Program Expands for Boaters in Select Maryland Counties
Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Clean Marina Initiative and the Marine Trades Association of Maryland are expanding their shrinkwrap recycling program directly to boaters in Queen Anne’s and Anne Arundel counties. This expansion will allow boaters who keep their boats at home in these counties to join the recycling effort . Previously, shrinkwrap recycling efforts were only targeted to boatyards and marinas, which continue to participate in the program. Read more…
Eighth Angler Earns FishMaryland Master Angler Award
Jason Michalski of Cecil County recognized as a Master Angler
Photo courtesy of Jason Michalski.
Jason Michalski of Rising Sun, Cecil County, has earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ FishMaryland program.
The award recognizes recreational anglers who catch ten different trophy-sized species of fish in Maryland. Michalski is the eighth Master Angler since the program began in 2019.
The FishMaryland program includes dozens of species from both salt and freshwater. Michalski submitted entries for all ten catches and received individual certificates for each catch. The department plans to present the Master Angler Milestone Award certificate along with a gift card prize from Bass Pro Shops at its Arundel Mills store. Michalski caught his tenth FishMaryland eligible fish, a 30.25-inch carp, on Sunday, March 24. Read more…
The Maryland Blue Catfish State Record Has Stood for 12 Years. Can It Be Broken?
Ed Jones, right, poses with his son, a friend, and a charter guide while holding the Maryland state record blue catfish in 2012.
The invasive fish has spread throughout Maryland in recent years, but the record held by an Oregon man still stands
Ed Jones, an Oregon resident, said he’ll never forget the day he caught the Maryland state record blue catfish. It was also the day he lost his phone.
“I can remember it as vividly as the day is long,” Jones said in March while recounting the fateful August 2012 catch. “I hooked him, was reeling him in, and as soon as we got him near the boat, I had my cell phone in my shirt pocket, leaned over the boat, and plunk. It fell right into the river. I had all these pictures [on the phone] and I lost them in the river.”
However, he still has at least one picture from that day. It’s a picture of him, his son, and others holding up the giant blue catfish he caught. That fish, at 84.0 pounds, still holds the Maryland blue catfish state record to this day.
Maryland Fishing Report – March 27
Luke Bradford’s smile says it all about his first youth trout fishing day. Photo by Jason Bradford
Many parents, mentors, and young anglers braved the cold rain for Maryland’s first youth trout fishing day. Our young anglers, despite cold fingers and wet weather, had a great time, and it is sure to be a day everyone involved will long remember.
You can check out our online collection of photos of smiling young anglers on Youth Trout Fishing Day.
On Saturday, March 30, the fun and excitement starts all over again with Maryland’s traditional opening day of trout season. Anglers young and old will be fishing for put and take waters generously stocked with trout by the trout hatchery program and biologists. Fishing starts at 6:30 a.m.
NRP Reminds Maryland’s Recreational Crabbers to Comply with Conservation Laws
Crab traps with turtle excluders attached are available at many retailers. Maryland DNR photo.
Maryland’s blue crab season officially opens April 1 in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries and the Atlantic Ocean and coastal bays. With the opening of a new season comes an increased presence by Natural Resources Police (NRP) officers to educate the public and enforce laws pertaining to crabbing, particularly with recreational crabbers and owners of private shorelines. Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report – March 20, 2023
Lindsey Straiton may need a larger kayak if she keeps catching blue catfish this large. Photo courtesy of Lindsey Straiton
Anglers have a lot of fishing opportunities to look forward to this week. For our trout anglers under the age of 16, Maryland’s first youth-only trout fishing day occurs this Saturday, March 23. Anglers are still catching white perch in the upper sections of spawning rivers, and largemouth bass, crappie, and blue catfish are providing good fishing.
2024 Keep Maryland Beautiful Grants Total $236,276
Grants Supports Communities, Land Trusts, and Nonprofits
Living Classrooms at Masonville Cove Environmental Education Center in Baltimore received a Keep Maryland Beautiful Grant in 2023. Photo Courtesy of Living Classrooms Foundation.
Maryland Environmental Trust has approved 18 grants totaling $236,276 to be awarded for environmental education, community cleanup, and beautification projects through the Keep Maryland Beautiful program.
Grants through the Keep Maryland Beautiful program are awarded to volunteer-based and nonprofit groups, communities, schools, and land trusts in Maryland. The grants are designed to support environmental education projects, litter removal, community stewardship, and to help protect natural resources in urban and rural areas.
Presented annually since 1986, the grant program is managed by the Maryland Environmental Trust – a unit of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources – and administered on the department’s behalf by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. Maryland Environmental Trust’s Board of Trustees voted to approve the grants after staff completed the application and review process.
The grants are funded by the Maryland Environmental Trust, Maryland Department of Transportation, and the Maryland Department of Agriculture. Read more…
Port of Chestertown Earns Maryland Clean Marina Status
Port of Chestertown Marina, photo courtesy of Town of Chestertown.
The Port of Chestertown Marina recently passed inspection by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and will earn the Maryland Clean Marina Award. This award brings Maryland’s total number of Clean Marinas and Clean Marina Partners to 147 – about 30 percent of the marinas in Maryland. In Kent County, 22 percent of the estimated 31 marinas are certified as Clean Marinas. Read more…
Maryland Youth Fishing Rodeo Schedule Set for 2024 Season
Dozens of events offer safe and free fishing for children and teens
Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources encourages youths ages 3 to 15 to try their hand at fishing or hone their angling skills at any of Maryland’s 50 youth fishing rodeos spread out across the state this year.
The department is working with dozens of organizations in 14 counties to offer free and engaging fishing opportunities for thousands of youth. Many events are held in Maryland State Parks and other public lands. Read more…
Seventh Angler Earns FishMaryland Master Angler Award
Zeljko Koretic of Baltimore County recognized as a Master Angler
Zeljko “Zee” Koretic holds up a summer flounder he caught in August 2023, one of the ten species that count toward his Master Angler status. Photo courtesy of Zeljko Koretic.
Zeljko Koretic of Middle River, Baltimore County, has earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ FishMaryland program.
The award recognizes recreational anglers who catch ten different species of fish in Maryland at trophy-size length. Koretic is the seventh Master Angler since the program began in 2019.
The FishMaryland program covers dozens of species from both salt and freshwater. All ten catches that earned Koretc the Master Angler award are listed below and on individual certificates sent to the angler. DNR will present the Master Angler award certificate and a gift card prize at Bass Pro Shops in Arundel Mills. Koretic caught his tenth FishMaryland eligible fish, a 15.5-inch crappie, while on a carp fishing trip on the Gunpowder River on March 8, 2024. Read more…
Cunningham Falls State Park to Close Campground and Water Access During Sewer Line Upgrade
Photo by Ranger Mark Spurrier/Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
A sewer line renovation and replacement project along Maryland Route 77 will require the temporary closure of some activities in the William Houck Area of Cunningham Falls State Park in Thurmont starting in April and extending into the summer months.
The project, spearheaded by Maryland Environmental Service with cooperation from the Maryland State Highway Administration and the Maryland Park Service, includes the excavation and replacement of aging underground sewer lines that provide service to the William Houck Area of Cunningham Falls State Park. Read more…
Maryland Conservation Corps Members Kick off AmeriCorps Week With Invasive Plant Removal Project
The Conservation Corps is a partnership between the Department of Natural Resources and AmeriCorps
Maryland Conservation Corps members pose with state and AmeriCorps officials in front of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge at Sandy Point State Park. Photo by Joe Zimmermann/Maryland DNR
Maryland Conservation Corps members gathered at Sandy Point State Park on Tuesday to share stories about why they felt called to serve and what they’ve learned from their work, before setting out for a day of cutting back invasive plants.
As part of AmeriCorps Week, the event brought representatives from AmeriCorps and Maryland state agencies to the Chesapeake Bay-front park in Annapolis to celebrate the ongoing achievements of the Maryland Conservation Corps. A partnership between AmeriCorps and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Conservation Corps places about 40 members across eight state parks every year.
At the event, the Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation presented AmeriCorps CEO Michael Smith with a proclamation from Gov. Wes Moore declaring this week as AmeriCorps Week in Maryland, noting how the service work through the program strengthens members, communities, and the state as a whole. Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report – March 13
Angler Talan Scott Vrablic holds a chain pickerel. Photo by Raymond Vrablic III
As we inch closer to spring, anglers are enjoying fishing for a variety of species this week. The white perch spawning runs are in high gear, the preseason stocking of trout is taking place, blue catfish are abundant, and our resident species such as the beautiful chain pickerel are providing plenty of fun fishing opportunities.
Catch and release opportunities for striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay begin below the Brewerton Channel and extend south to the Virginia Line. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources website includes maps and information on areas open to catch and release until March 31. All catch and release of striped bass will be prohibited from April 1 until May 15.
Maryland Accepts Donation of Holly Beach Farm – A Unique Chesapeake Bay Property in Anne Arundel County
Governor Wes Moore joined Secretary Josh Kurtz and staff at Holly Beach Farm in February. Photo by Patrick Siebert, Office of the Governor.
The Board of Public Works today approved the Maryland Department of Natural Resources accepting the donation of Holly Beach Farm, a 293-acre waterfront property in Anne Arundel County, from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
“This is a remarkable opportunity for all Marylanders to experience the Chesapeake Bay,” said Gov. Wes Moore. “I offer my thanks to the many partners who helped make today’s transfer happen, including our friends at the National Park Service, the Conservation Fund, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and Mrs. Leonie Gately, who had the vision to protect this land for the future. I am looking forward to visiting again soon to see the great work our Department of Natural Resources’ team does to prepare this property for the future.”
Read more…
Controlled Burn Planned for Warrior Mountain Wildlife Management Area in March
Maryland DNR photo
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will conduct a controlled burn on Warrior Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Allegany County between March 14 and March 29 as weather and other conditions allow. Smoke will be visible in the area north of Oldtown, and residents and visitors should be aware that this is not a wildfire.
Access to the wildlife management area at Ruby Road will be limited during the burn due to potential low visibility due to smoke, but will reopen as soon as the burn is completed.
The fire will be a low controlled flame targeting underbrush and ground cover debris. The purpose of the burn is to improve habitat for wildlife and to restore stands of pitch pine and improve oak regeneration. Read more…
Maryland Catfish Tournaments Offer Invasive Species Angling
Blue catfish caught at the 2022 Sharptown Catfish Tournament on the Nanticoke River and Marshyhope Creek. Photo by Stephen Badger, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
With record catches around the country tipping the scales at more than a hundred pounds, blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) have become quite the draw for anglers in the Chesapeake Bay. Introduced in the 1970s as a recreational fishing target species in Virginia, invasive blue catfish populations have grown rapidly in Maryland waters.
As commercial harvests of blue catfish have risen exponentially, recreational fishing for the species is becoming more popular as a way to enjoy a day angling as well as bring plenty of fish home for dinner. Commercial landings of blue catfish have grown from 609,525 pounds in 2013 to 4.2 million pounds in 2023, more than a 500% increase in the past decade. The fish is increasingly showing up on menus and in grocery stores, helping it to become more appealing as table fare. Read more…
Muskrat Trapping Season Extended to March 22 in Select Maryland Counties
Muskrat, photo by Nathaniel Peck, submitted to Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo contest.
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 counties. The revised season will now close March 22, 2024 to make up for unfavorable weather conditions.
A series of unusually high tides have limited trapper access to many waterways and wetlands, reducing the ability and opportunity to harvest this valuable furbearer. Read more…
Secretary’s Message – Spring Forth into Nature
First Lady Dawn Moore joined DNR and a group of local high school students for the “Global Day of Unplugging” March 1 at Patapsco Valley State Park. Maryland DNR photo.
March is a transition month – the beginning of spring is perhaps the most visible and dramatic of all seasonal changes within a short span of time. While our public lands and waters offer access to nature all year, March is an especially busy time as the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) makes preparations for the warm weather months ahead.
Staff in our parks and state forests are readying campsites for reopening in spring. It’s a great time to start planning your outdoor adventures this year by visiting our online reservation system. All parks that offer camping will have campsites available for rent before or by Memorial Day. At the same time, there are a few remaining weeks for wintertime activities, especially in the western region of our state, where the cold weather lasts a little longer. One of late winter’s big activities in Maryland is the Maple Syrup Festival in Cunningham Falls State Park. Read more…
Maryland’s Oyster Restoration Sanctuaries Show Promising Signs for Shellfish Recovery
At restoration sites, oysters are establishing dense, productive reefs
A restored oyster reef in the Harris Creek sanctuary in 2021. In a thriving oyster reef, oyster shells accumulate into three-dimensional structures where crabs scuttle, sea squirts dangle and fish dart through clearings. Like coral reefs, oyster reefs support an ecosystem that flourishes around them. Photo by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
At first, oyster biologists were concerned. Monitoring efforts at some restoration sanctuary reefs in 2022 weren’t pulling up many oysters, even though the sites had previously been performing well.
So divers with the Oyster Recovery Partnership went into the water to investigate. What they found there wasn’t a shortage of oysters, but such a dense and mature population that the shellfish had cemented into three-dimensional reefs, thick enough that the team’s patent tongs sampling gear weren’t able to get them out of the water. Read more…
Maryland Fishing Report – March 6
Blue catfish, photo courtesy of Rich Gray.
Welcome to March and the first signs of spring – including our first fishing report for the 2024 season. Blooming daffodils, departing Canada geese, the arrival of ospreys, and the spring spawning runs of yellow and white perch are happening all around us. Many anglers have been fishing through the winter months due to the generous preseason trout stocking program and the abundance of blue catfish that we encourage everyone to help remove.
Maryland Spring 2024 Trout Fishing Season Opens March 30
Brown trout, photo by John Mullican, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is set to release thousands of hatchery-raised brown, golden, and rainbow trout across the state in areas temporarily closed to fishing in preparation for opening day on March 30. This year, the start time for fishing in all Closure 1 and Closure 2 areas is 6:30 a.m. Read more…
Baltimore County Angler Earns FishMaryland Master Angler Award
Rashan Hunt is the sixth angler to be recognized as a Master Angler
Maryland Master Angler Rashan Hunt holds the chain pickerel he caught at Loch Raven Reservoir. Photo courtesy Rashan Hunt, used with permission by Maryland DNR
Rashan Hunt of Sparrows Point, Baltimore County, has earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ FishMaryland program.
The award recognizes recreational anglers who catch ten different species of fish in Maryland at trophy-size length. Hunt is the sixth Master Angler since the program began, and achieved the award with a tenth confirmed catch, a 24-inch chain pickerel caught February 26 at Loch Raven Reservoir. Read more…
Maple Syrup Festival 2024 Gets Cooking at Cunningham Falls State Park
Event takes place two weekends in March
Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources invites everyone to come celebrate the annual Maple Syrup Festival at Cunningham Falls State Park, the weekends of March 9-10 and March 16-17. During this event, held annually for more than 50 years, guests can gather around the Sugar Shack to watch sugarmakers demonstrate the traditional way of boiling sap into syrup against the backdrop of Maryland’s woodlands. Read more…
First Lady Dawn Moore Hikes with Local Students on Global Day of Unplugging to Highlight Nature’s Benefits to Children’s Mental Health
First Lady Dawn Moore, Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dr. Laura Herrera Scott, and Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz walk a trail at Patapsco Valley State Park. Photo courtesy Maryland Governor’s Office.
First Lady Dawn Moore today celebrated the Global Day of Unplugging by participating in a hike and yoga exercises with state officials and local students at Patapsco Valley State Park in Halethorpe. Joined by Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz; Maryland Department of Health Secretary Dr. Laura Herrera Scott; mental health and environmental experts; and nearly a dozen Howard County high school students, the first lady and all participants disconnected from their phones to experience nature and learn about how teens and adults can disconnect from the digital world to improve mental health. Now in its 15th year, the Global Day of Unplugging is designed to be a 24-hour day of digital detox from March 1 – 2.
“Improving the mental health of Maryland’s children is one of my top priorities as first lady,” said First Lady Dawn Moore. “I encourage parents to help their children take time to unplug from the digital world and explore the world around them, including Maryland’s natural beauty. I am proud to be working in partnership with our state agencies, community organizations, and our young students to help improve the mental health of all Maryland children.” Read more…
Winter Survey Takes Stock of the Chesapeake Bay’s Blue Crabs
DNR measures hundreds of sites to help provide a snapshot of the crab population
At a nondescript spot in the middle of the Choptank River, the Mydra Ann slowed to a crawl.
The crew aboard the crabbing boat, a mix of Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) scientists and commercial watermen, readied the gear. With a thud, the large, steel-toothed dredge met the water of the Choptank, its chain whirring along the center of the boat as the metal bars lined with netting descended to the river bottom.
After a one-minute drag traveling at 3 knots, the crew pulled up the dredge and emptied its contents onto the deck. Among the leaf litter, small rocks, and chunks of ice, small crustaceans shifted groggily—juvenile blue crabs.
“It’s Christmas every day,” said Chris Walstrum, a DNR natural resource biologist. “You don’t know what you’re gonna get.”
Maryland Wetlands Map Identifies Areas That Could Be Affected by Sea Level Rise
Identifying future wetlands can help guide conservation
Wetlands in Jug Bay in Lothian. DNR photo
As sea level rise changes the coastal landscape of Maryland in the future some existing wetlands will be submerged, while existing land will become wetlands.
A state mapping project coordinated by Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) provides a look ahead at what areas could become flooded or have potential as beneficial wetlands in the future. The project is intended to help officials prepare for sea level rise and identify areas that are in need of conservation action.
DNR, in collaboration with George Mason University and The Nature Conservancy, ran an updated model to predict the future location and size of wetlands resulting from sea level rise. Using this model, the team also created a data layer that scores coastal areas based on their future potential as wetlands.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources: Number of Wildfires, Acreage Burned Increased in 2023
Acreage burned by wildfires in 2023 was more than double the 10-year average, with one significant fire responsible for the increase
A Maryland Forest Service firefighter contains a wildfire. DNR File Photo.
The number of wildfires and the acreage of land burned by wildfires in Maryland last year significantly outpaced the 10-year average, according to the Maryland Forest Service’s Annual Wildland Fire Report.
The report, which is being released this month, covers data related to wildfires on 3.2 million acres of land overseen by the Maryland Forest Service.
In 2023, these lands experienced 199 wildfires in 2023 that burned approximately 4,483 acres. Both figures were higher than the 10-year averages of 127.8 wildfires per year and 2,376 acres burned, according to Forest Service data.
Maryland Park Service Graduates 21 New State Park Rangers
Maryland’s State Park Ranger School Class of 2021, photo by AJ Metcalf, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The Maryland Park Service today graduated 21 new State Park Rangers following four weeks of training. The rangers were honored in a ceremony at Elk Neck State Park and NorthBay Adventure Camp. Read more…
Montgomery County Angler Catches Maryland State Record Rainbow Trout
Long-standing record beaten by fish caught in Antietam Creek, Devil’s Backbone
Photo courtesy of Jean-Philippe Lartigue, used with permission.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recognizes Jean-Philippe Lartigue of Bethesda as a new state record holder for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Nontidal Division. Lartigue caught a 17.44-pound rainbow trout February 10 in the section of Antietam Creek running through Devil’s Backbone County Park in Washington County. Read more…
Maryland Hunters Harvest 72,642 Deer for 2023-2024 Season
More than 10% were harvested on Sundays
Photo by Debbie Blair, submitted to Maryland DNR Photo Contest.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reported that deer hunters harvested 72,642 deer during the combined archery, firearms, and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 8, 2023 through Feb. 3, 2024.
The statewide harvest included 30,025 antlered and 38,511 antlerless white-tailed deer, and 1,912 antlered and 2,194 antlerless sika deer. The harvest was 5% lower than the 2022-2023 total of 76,687 deer. Read more…
Two Studies by DNR Scientists Highlight Spawning Challenges for Striped Bass
Research looks at historical egg data and changes in spawning season timing and duration
A Maryland Department of Natural Resources biologist measures a juvenile striped bass as part of the annual young-of-year survey. Maryland DNR photo
Two recent studies by Maryland Department of Natural Resources scientists highlight spawning challenges that striped bass, also known locally as rockfish, face in the Chesapeake Bay.
The research was published in “Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science” in late 2023 for the journal’s striped bass themed issue.
Jim Uphoff, a DNR fisheries biologist, authored a paper that uses long-term datasets to bring a new perspective to the history of the striped bass stock collapse and rebound in the last decades of the 20th century. Angela Giuliano, also a DNR fisheries biologist, published a study that looks at the effects of warming water temperatures in the Chesapeake Bay on the timing and length of the striped bass spawning season.
DNR Seeks Public Input for Upcoming Hunting Seasons and Bag Limits
Comment period includes migratory game bird season proposal for the coming season
Maryland DNR photo
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comment on proposed changes to the 2024-2026 hunting and trapping seasons as well as the proposed 2024-2025 Migratory Game Bird Seasons and Bag Limits. Read more…
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