Natural Resources News
Anglers Gain Improved Access to Beaver Creek
Department Acquisition Opens Up Trout Fishery
The Board of Public Works unanimously approved today the Maryland Department of Natural Resources acquisition of 6.5 acres in Washington County, which will secure public fishing access to Beaver Creek, a tributary to Antietam Creek.
Read more…
Natural Resources Police Basic Recruit Class 58 Graduation
Largest Graduation Class in Police History
Friends and family gathered at The John Carroll School in Harford County Saturday for the Maryland Natural Resources Police Training Academy’s 58th Basic Recruit Class Graduation Ceremony. The class was the largest in police history, with 27 graduates. Read more…
Pollinator Habitat to be Restored on BGE Rights-of-Way Located in Maryland State Parks
Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BGE) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources today announced a new initiative that will help improve and strengthen pollinator health and habitat. Approximately 200 acres of BGE’s electric rights-of-way (ROW) located in Maryland state parks that are currently maintained by routine mowing will be allowed to transition to meadow or prairie ecosystems which are natural pollinator habitats. Read more…
Deer and Striped Bass Poachers Charged
Deer and striped bass poaching cases topped the cases handled in recent days by the officers of the Maryland Natural Resources Police.
The City of Annapolis Hosts Maritime Summit
Working Waterfront Awareness Project
Annapolis Mayor Michael Pantelides announced the Maritime Summit, which brought together more than 100 Annapolis area maritime and marine businesses, was a huge success. Read more…
Canada Goose Hunting Season Opens
Maryland’s Most Popular Waterfowl Season
Maryland’s migratory Atlantic Population Canada goose hunting season runs Nov. 19-25, and again from Dec. 16, 2016 through Feb. 4, 2017. The daily bag limit is two geese per day in this Canada Goose Hunting Zone. Read more…
New Waterfowl Hunting Opportunity in Garrett County
Managed Goose Hunt at Broadford Lake
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced today a new waterfowl hunting opportunity at Broadford Lake in Garrett County. The managed hunting opportunity complements the existing goose hunting program at Deep Creek Lake.
The two hunts are by permit and reservation only during select days (Nov. 21-23). Interested hunters can apply here. Read more…
Nearly 20,000 Deer Harvested During Early Hunting Season
Turkey Numbers Similar to Last Year
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced today that hunters harvested fewer deer during the early hunting season compared with last year.
Maryland hunters wrapped up the early portion of the archery and muzzleloader deer seasons by harvesting an estimated 19,859 deer in September and October, a 14 percent decrease from last year’s harvest of 23,097. Read more…
Natural Resources Police Handle Fishing and Hunting Cases
Capture Aided by Newest K-9 Officer
The Maryland Natural Resources Police handled illegal fishing and hunting cases in recent days. Read more…
Junior Deer Hunt Days Set for November
Adult Mentors Pass on Hunting Safety and Ethics
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources encourages experienced hunters to introduce youth to the time-honored sporting tradition this month during two Junior Deer Hunt Days.
The days will be held Nov. 12 on public and private land in all counties, and Nov. 13 on private land in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Harford, Kent, Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester counties.
In Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties, the hunt is open Nov. 13 on private and designated public lands. Read more…
Natural Resources Police Handle Illegal Hunting and Poaching Cases
Illegal hunting and striped bass poaching cases highlighted enforcement actions taken recently by the Maryland Natural Resources Police.
A Charles County man and a juvenile were charged Friday night with illegal deer hunting after a resident reported hearing shots near his home. Read more…
Youth Waterfowl Hunting Days Announced
Maximum Age to Participate Increased to 16 Years Old
Young Marylanders can hone their hunting skills with the help of an experienced adult during two Youth Waterfowl Hunt Days Nov. 5 and Feb. 11, 2017. Those 16 years of age or younger may hunt ducks, geese, mergansers and coots on public and private land these two days when aided by a qualified adult.
New this year, the maximum age for participating has been increased from 15 to 16 years of age. Read more…
“Doc” Wexler Found Guilty of Illegal Veterinarian Operation
A Lusby man who operated a wildlife rehabilitation facility was found guilty Thursday in Calvert County District Court on two counts of illegal drug possession and one count of practicing veterinary medicine without a license. Read more…
Record Number of Black Bears Harvested During 2016 Hunt
Great Fall Weather and Expanded Hunt Zone Aids Hunters
Favorable weather conditions and increased hunting opportunities in western Maryland enabled hunters to achieve a record harvest in the 2016 Maryland Black Bear Hunt as the season came to a close Oct. 27, with a record 167 bears reported to mandatory check-in stations.
The harvest total is 72 more than the previous record set in 2015 (95 bears).
Natural Resources Police Handle Bear, Oyster and Striper Cases
Bear baiting, and oyster and striped bass poaching cases highlighted enforcement actions taken this week by the Maryland Natural Resources Police. Read more…
Fall Turkey Season Opens in Western Maryland
Hunting Limited to Allegany, Garrett and Washington Counties
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced today that the Fall Turkey Hunting Season will open Oct. 29 and continue through Nov. 5 in Allegany, Garrett and Washington counties with a bag limit of one turkey per hunter.
Honorary Ranger William “Howard” Skinner Recognized
Dedication Ceremony Held at Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recognized the lifelong contributions of Honorary Ranger William “Howard” Skinner Oct. 21 with a dedication ceremony at Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area. Read more…
Newest Maryland Clean Marina in Harford County
Department of Natural Resources Certifies Bush River Yacht Club
Bush River Yacht Club has now been declared the newest Maryland Clean Marina by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The maritime establishment adopted practices from the Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook, met all environmental requirements and passed a site inspection before earning the designation. Read more…
Maryland Tree Nursery Now Accepting Orders
Authentic Wye Oak Seedlings Available
Tired of mowing? Consider converting part of your grasslands to woodlands with trees from the John S. Ayton State Forest Tree Nursery, managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
New this year are Beautyberry Shrub seedlings – Maryland native plants – which beautify landscapes and improve habitat, as well as authentic Wye Oak seedlings. Read more…
Two Men Arrested for Illegal Deer Hunting
Two men were arrested for deer poaching activities in separate cases in Kent and Washington counties by Maryland Natural Resources Police officers. Read more…
Early Muzzleloader Deer Hunting Season Opens
Hunters Reminded to Practice Tree Stand Safety
The first segment of Maryland’s Muzzleloader Deer Season opens statewide Oct. 20. It is one of several deer hunting opportunities offered in the state and typically occurs during some of the finest fall weather.
The early muzzleloader season runs from Oct. 20-22 in Deer Management Regions A and B. Region A consists of Garrett, Allegany and western Washington counties (private land codes 250 and 251), and Region B is the rest of the state. Hunters in Region B can also use muzzleloaders from Oct. 24-29 for antlerless deer only. Read more…
Off-Road Vehicle Trail Approved for Garrett County
Department of Natural Resources to Construct Project in Savage River State Forest
The Board of Public Works unanimously approved today the construction of several projects within Savage River State Forest, including the development of the state’s first modern off-road vehicle trail. The trail will include the first-ever campsite designed to support off-highway vehicle riders. Other features will include single-track hare scramble style trail sections, technical trail spurs, internal loops, vehicular pull-offs and in another first – a full size rock crawl area. Read more…
Board of Public Works Approves Rural Legacy Program Grants
Enhanced Funding Helps Preserve and Protect 4,615 Acres
The Board of Public Works unanimously adopted a Maryland Department of Natural Resources recommendation today to approve 15 Rural Legacy Program grants, totaling $17,663,385, to permanently preserve approximately 4,615 acres of working farms, forests and open space across the state, from Garrett to Wicomico County. Read more…
Deer Hunting Opens at Myrtle Point Park Cooperative Wildlife Management Area
County, State Partnership Provides New Bowhunting Opportunity
A new partnership between the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and St. Mary’s County will now permit deer hunting at Myrtle Point Park. Approximately 141 acres of the 192-acre park in California, Md. will be open to regulated archery activity, effective immediately. Read more…
Striped Bass Survey Indicates Below-Average Reproduction
Results Follow Very Successful Spawning Year in 2015
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced today that the 2016 young-of-the-year striped bass index, a measure of bass spawning success in Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay is 2.2, well below the 63-year average of 11.7. The index represents the average number of less than 1 year old fish caught in 132 samples during the Juvenile Striped Bass Survey. Read more…
Fall Trout Stocking Begins in Maryland
25,000 Trout to be Released in October
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources began stocking brown, golden and rainbow trout in select creeks, lakes and rivers this week as part of its annual fall trout stocking activities. Approximately 25,000 trout will be stocked by the end of October. Read more…
Chronic Wasting Disease Rules Altered
Management Area Expanded; Baiting Rules Relaxed
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds hunters that chronic wasting disease regulations were updated earlier this year after five white-tailed deer tested positive for the disease in Allegany County. One of the deer was harvested near Cumberland, approximately 10 miles west of all previous cases. It was the first documented case outside of the original management area. Read more…
Two Men Charged with 73 Counts of Illegal Hunting
Two men who killed eight deer in a single evening in Baltimore and Howard counties have been charged with 73 counts of illegal hunting by the Maryland Natural Resources Police.
John Dimingo Gallano IV, 20, of Pasadena, and Christopher Michael Johnson, 20, of Halethorpe, were charged last Friday after a year-long investigation. Read more…
Maryland Motorists: Stay Alert for Deer!
Cooling temperatures, colorful foliage and unpredictable wildlife ─ all signs that the fall season is upon us. As such, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources urges motorists to stay alert for deer and other wildlife this time of year as these animals seek out food supplies and mates. Read more…
Natural Resources Police Handle Poaching Cases
Deer and striped bass poaching cases on the Eastern Shore and a crabbing case in St. Mary’s County were among the incidents handled last week by Maryland Natural Resources Police officers. Read more…
Oyster Season Opens in Maryland
The 2016-2017 public oyster harvest season kicks off Oct. 1 and runs through March 31. The opening month is reserved for divers and watermen using shaft and patent tongs.
“Although blue crabs are fat and plentiful this time of year, it is oysters on the half shell that traditionally bring Marylanders together in the fall and winter months,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton. “The species is as iconic as the Chesapeake Bay with deep ties to our culture and heritage. Oysters continue to play an important role in both our ecology and economy.”
National Wildlife Federation, Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Queen Anne’s County Officials Launch First-of-its Kind, Climate Adaptive Shoreline
Today, officials from the National Wildlife Federation, the state of Maryland and Queen Anne’s County held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Conquest Preserve Living Shoreline Project on the banks of the Chester River. Read more…
Natural Resources Police Handle Deer and Striped Bass Poaching Cases
Deer and striped bass poaching cases were among the incidents handled over the weekend by Maryland Natural Resources Police officers.
39 Volunteer Fire Departments Receive $89,025 in Funding
12 Maryland Counties Awarded Grants
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the recipients of the 2016 Volunteer Fire Assistance Program grants, which provide financial and technical assistance to rural volunteer fire departments and their communities.
This year, the department awarded $89,025 to 39 volunteer fire departments in 12 Maryland counties. Read more…
Taking a Bite Out of Crime: Maryland Natural Resources Police K-9 unit
Cpl. Lillard and Rider patrolling the Potomac River; department photos
Sometimes, the good guys arrive on four paws.
Maybe they’re asked to find a hiker, lost and cold, in the woods. Perhaps, it’s to look for a weapon used in a crime and tossed into an overgrown field. Or it could be to zero-in on wildlife illegally shot by a poacher and hidden away from prying eyes.
Whatever the assignment, the five dogs of the Maryland Natural Resources Police K-9 unit perform. Their reward for a job well done is a scratch between the ears, words of praise and a few minutes with a favorite squeaky toy.
They are part of Maryland’s oldest statewide police force. And, yes, they do wear badges. Read more…
Trail of Trees: Arbor Day planting leads to a restored forest
Students using pallets to build bug hotels; photos by Francis Smith
As fall creeps in and the growing season fades, the Maryland Forest Service still has one thing in mind: planting trees.
From Western Maryland to the Eastern Shore, the Forest Service continually partners with the community in its mission of getting trees in the ground. Whether on public or private land, shovels are always in action and a multitude of species are finding new homes with the help of volunteers, interns, parents, students, teachers and staff. Read more…
The White-Nose Mystery: A silent killer of bats
Little brown bat; by Scott Altenbach
It sounds like a case made for Scooby Doo and the Mystery Machine, but unlike a cartoon, there is a very real danger facing Maryland bats each winter: Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the cause of the fatal white-nose syndrome. This cold-loving fungus attacks bats while they hibernate by growing on and into their skin. As a result, they constantly wake up and groom themselves, resulting in them burning up their fat reserves long before winter is over. Trying to survive, bats may even fly off looking for food and die in the process.
Autumn Falls: A photo essay
Simply put, waterfalls are nothing more than rivers flowing over rocks but that doesn’t stop them from being among the most wondrous sights our natural world has to offer.
You may think the only way to enjoy such areas beyond social media is to travel to faraway states, but I’m here to show you the roars, and the whispers of Maryland’s falls—from blips in creeks to drops taller than the four-story office building in which I sit writing. Combine that with Maryland’s perfect mid-Atlantic positioning for idyllic flaming foliage, and I challenge you to find a sight more spectacular this autumn season. Read more…
The Chesapeake Clarity Comeback: Monitoring progress in bay health
Healthy grasses and clear water off Poplar Island; by Peter McGowan
A tide of good news on Chesapeake Bay health has been rolling in over the past couple of years. Anecdotal accounts, backed-up by scientific monitoring programs of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and its partners, have observed promising improvements in water quality, aquatic habitats and the abundance of crabs and oysters.
The question on many minds remains: how? Read more…
If These Walls Could Talk: Maryland’s Resident Curatorship Program
Grove Farm kitchen: before and after; department photos
From the remains of Native American settlements to development undertaken by Europeans, it is difficult to find a part of Maryland that does not possess a unique story to tell. As the largest single public landowner, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources manages a huge portfolio of historically significant properties full of important archeological, architectural and natural resources.
Of these irreplaceable treasures, historic structures stand as some of the most tangible connections to our collective heritage. From high style 18th century plantations and vernacular mill worker housing to 19th century farmsteads and Civilian Conservation Corps cabins, the department fosters a broad variety of architectural resources that provide a glimpse into Maryland’s past. Read more…
Taking Care of (Fish) Business: Levels of management
Bluegill; by David Jackson
Have you ever grumbled about the minimum size requirement, especially after you threw back that sixth undersized fish of the day? Have you ever wondered who makes these rules, why or how?
Fisheries management, like much of what we do at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, can be considered a balancing act between two extremes of absolute prohibition (no fishing allowed!) and no protection (catch them all!) As natural resource managers, we usually want to be somewhere in the middle—a “sweet spot” where people can benefit from the resource, either commercially or recreationally, while we ensure that enough fish are protected to support a healthy ecosystem. Read more…
Game of Bones: Investigating the lives of marine animals
Fresh dead loggerhead turtle; department photos
A large crowd enjoys a hot day on the beach. A small family strolls down to the shore. A group of friends prepares for a day of fishing and boating bliss. All of a sudden something washes ashore. It’s the stuff of evening news headlines and social media click-bait. But for the department’s Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Response Program, it’s just another day at the office.
Department personnel respond to an average of 40 strandings each year. In the program’s 26-year history, that includes over 440 marine mammals representing 25 species and over 600 sea turtles from four species. This includes numerous threatened and endangered species such as humpback and North Atlantic right whales as well as loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley and leatherback sea turtles. Read more…
Hurricane Preparedness: What to do before, during and after a storm
Satellite image; courtesy of NOAA
Living in a coastal region has its perks, along with its own potential downsides. You can never predict exactly what may happen during hurricane season, but you can always prepare for it and handle worst case scenarios in a way that will the least impact on your loved ones, your assets and your day-to-day life. Read more…
Natural Resources Police Charge Poachers, Arrest Impaired Boater
Maryland Natural Resources Police officers handled striped bass poaching violations, arrested a man for indecent exposure and charged a boater with impaired operation in some recent cases. Read more…
Hunting Opportunity in Prince George’s County
Managed Deer Hunt Begins Oct. 20
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will provide public deer hunting opportunities, as part of a managed deer hunting program, in the Belt Woods Natural Environment Area during the 2016-2017 hunting seasons. Read more…
Bidding Opens for Trapping Privileges on Eastern Shore Lands
Process Provides Opportunity to Trap on Public Lands
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is currently accepting bids for the 2016-2017 furbearer trapping season for public lands on the Eastern Shore.
Read more…
Natural Resources Police Concludes Case on Boating Fatality
Alcohol use, inattention and excessive speed led to the fatal boat accident on Whitehall Creek in Annapolis July 31, a Maryland Natural Resources Police investigation determined.
The accident killed Paul Christopher Dettor, 49, of Annapolis, and injured two passengers. Read more…
Maryland Clean Marina Certified in Cecil County
The Hances Point Yacht Club in North East is the newest Maryland Clean Marina certified by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The Cecil County facility earned the recognition after adopting practices from the Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook, meeting all environmental and regulatory requirements, and passing a mandatory site inspection. Read more…
Lutherville Photographer Wins Grand Prize in Annual Photo Contest
Fan Favorite Winner to be Chosen on Facebook
Snowy Egrets Sparring by Mitch Adolph
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced the winners of the 2016 Natural Resources Photo Contest, with the grand prize going to Mitch Adolph of Lutherville for his excellent action photo of sparring egrets on Assateague Island. Read more…
Wicomico County Waterman Loses Oyster License
Natural Resources Police Handle Poaching Violations and Others
Maryland Natural Resources Police officers handled oyster, striped bass and crab poaching violations and arrested a man on drug and stolen vehicle charges in recent cases.