Natural Resources News
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.
Orientation and Qualification Dates Announced for Parker’s Creek
Wildlife Management Area Now Open for Deer Hunting
The Parker’s Creek Wildlife Management Area in Calvert County will open for deer hunting this fall season.
Those interested in hunting the area must possess a free Southern Region Seasonal Permit, complete a free Hunter Orientation and Shooting Qualification session and must make daily reservations.
New Maryland Clean Marina in Baltimore
Department of Natural Resources Certifies Harbor East in the Inner Harbor
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has certified Harbor East Marina in Baltimore as the latest Maryland Clean Marina. The facility earned the recognition after adopting best management practices from the Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook, meeting all environmental and regulatory requirements, and passing a site inspection. Read more…
Largemouth Bass Reef Project Seeks Volunteers
To Provide Potomac River Nursery Habitat
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Chesapeake Bay Foundation and National Harbor have formed a taskforce to construct and place 80 small concrete reef balls in Smoots Bay in the Potomac River to help improve the fishery. Read more…
Labor Day Patrols Lead to Arrests and Warnings
Even though Tropical Storm Hermine kept many boaters off the water this Labor Day weekend, the Maryland Natural Resources Police were busy inspecting anglers and crabbers, checking dove and waterfowl hunters and patrolling our state parks and waters. Read more…
Maryland Deer Archery Season Opens September 9
Sika Deer Hunting Now Permitted in All Counties
Archery hunting for white-tailed deer and sika deer opens statewide Sept. 9, and continues through Jan. 31, 2017. The bag limit for white-tailed bucks is one per weapon season. Maryland hunters in Region B have the option to take one additional bonus buck after purchasing a Bonus Antlered Deer Stamp and taking two antlerless deer. The antlerless deer bag limits differ between regions. Read more…
Maryland to Host National Hunting and Fishing Day
Family Friendly Event Set for Sept. 24
Anglers, conservationists, hunters and others interested in the great outdoors are invited to take part in the 10th annual National Hunting and Fishing Day celebration, hosted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
This free, family friendly event will take place Sept. 24, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (rain or shine) at the Associated Gun Clubs of Baltimore in Marriottsville (11518 Marriottsville Road).
Police Handle Fishing Violations; Charge Unsafe Boater
Maryland Natural Resources Police officers handled recreational crabbing and fishing violations, and charged a boater with unsafe operation in some recent cases. Read more…
Historic Landscape Conserved in Howard County
Maryland Environmental Trust Protects Portion of Belmont Manor and Historic Park
The Maryland Environmental Trust has permanently conserved a portion of Belmont Manor and Historic Park near Elkridge. Howard County, which owns the park, conveyed a conservation easement on a 36-acre section of the 69-acre property, which will protect the scenic rural landscape surrounding the historic manor house that dates back from the 18th century. Read more…
Early Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons Announced
Mourning Dove Season Opens Sept. 1
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources today announced the 2016-2017 early migratory game bird hunting seasons. Bag limits, season dates and shooting hours can be found in the 2016-2017 Maryland Guide to Hunting and Trapping. Read more…
Brothers Charged with Assault following Boating Brawl
Two Anne Arundel County men were charged on Aug. 19 with multiple violations in connection with a fist fight that occurred last month aboard a boat on the Choptank River, the Maryland Natural Resources Police reported.
Fish Parasite Absent in Maryland Trout Samples
Natural Resources Surveys Western Maryland Streams
Blue Ridge Sculpin
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recently joined the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service in a survey of Hunting Creek and Owens Creek in Frederick County to follow up on the 2015 discovery of Dermocystidium, a single-celled parasite effecting Blue Ridge sculpin fish, in Blue Blazes Creek near Thurmont.
The joint federal/state team found no signs of the parasite in samples of trout in the two Maryland streams.
Cambridge, Oxford and St. Michaels Awarded Working Waterfront Grants
Program Preserves and Revitalizes Maryland’s Maritime Communities
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has awarded three municipalities: the City of Cambridge, the Town of Oxford and the Town of St. Michaels, with financial and technical assistance through the Working Waterfronts Program, a state initiative that aids in the preservation and revitalization of current and historic marine-based communities. Read more…
Police Investigate Boat Explosion, and Arrest Motorist with Drugs and Guns
Maryland Natural Resources Police officers investigated a boat explosion and a jet ski accident, arrested a motorist carrying drugs and loaded guns, and charged an unlicensed fishing guide in recent cases. Read more…
New Clean Marina in Anne Arundel County
Department of Natural Resources Certifies Harbour Cove Marina
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has certified Harbour Cove Marina in Deale as the latest Maryland Clean Marina. The facility earned the recognition after adopting best management practices from the Maryland Clean Marina Guidebook, meeting all environmental and regulatory requirements, and passing a site inspection. Read more…
St. Mary’s County Watermen Charged with Fraud; Employee and Notary also Charged
A St. Mary’s County waterman has been criminally charged with running a commercial fishing fraud scheme, the Maryland Natural Resources Police reported. Read more…
Two White Perch Records Set in Maryland
Anglers Broke State Atlantic and Nontidal Records
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources today confirmed two new white perch state fishing records. James Stiars of Bel Air broke his own nontidal record in Loch Raven Reservoir in Baltimore County, and ten-year-old Ryan Timmons of Berlin broke the Atlantic record in Ayers Creek in Worcester County. Read more…
Officers Rescue Injured Boater; Arrest Three for Impairment
Maryland Natural Resources Police officers rescued an injured boater, arrested an impaired boater and driver, and won convictions in two fisheries cases over the past week.
Waterfowl Hunting at Deal Island and Fairmount
Department Now Accepting Lottery Applications
Hunters can now submit applications for the annual permit-only waterfowl hunting days at Deal Island and Fairmount wildlife management areas, located in Somerset County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Permits will be issued through a lottery drawing, with assignments based upon a hunter’s stated preference for each area and/or date. Applications are due prior to Sept. 12. Read more…
Drunk Driver Convicted; Two Crabbers Charged
A drunk driving conviction and the charging of two crab poachers highlighted recent cases handled by the Maryland Natural Resources Police. Read more…
Maryland Awarded $350,000 for Pumpout Boats and Stations
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has been awarded more than $350,000 for the installation and maintenance of marine sewage pumpout stations across the state. The funding will go toward existing pumpouts as well as support pumpout boats operated by the City of Annapolis, the Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy and the West and Rhode Riverkeeper.