Usually associated with warmer areas, the legendary sport fish is a rare sight in the state Scouting for red drum near the Hoopers Island Lighthouse on Aug. 1, Capt. Tom Weaver saw something roll in the flat, calm waters a couple hundred yards away. He looked for the wake and followed a disturbance in the Read the Rest…
It has been one year since Gov. Wes Moore announced that Maryland was shifting its Chesapeake Bay cleanup strategy to align with the latest science that recommends focusing water quality improvement efforts on increasing shallow water habitat and living resources, such as populations of fish and crabs. At the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), we’ve Read the Rest…
Temperatures and non-native fish species have increased, while acidity has lessened A Maryland Department of Natural Resources report found mixed results for the health of the state’s non-tidal streams, with some conditions getting better, others worse, and some remaining the same. For this report on potential changes in stream conditions, the department’s Maryland Biological Stream Read the Rest…
Identifying future wetlands can help guide conservation 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 Read the Rest…
Frostburg State University is working with the Department of Natural Resources to study the spread of ticks and provide more community information Ticks were once rare in Western Maryland, but the disease-carrying arachnids are on the rise in the region. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Frostburg State University are working together on an Read the Rest…
Climate change makes region more hospitable to some newcomers—and more difficult for native species A Salisbury man fishing for spotted sea trout Sept. 17 in the Chesapeake Bay pulled in a tall, silvery fish with a striking yellow underside. It turned out to be the largest Florida pompano recorded in the state. It was also Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the Grants Gateway application is open for local governments and organizations for Fiscal Year 2025, which begins July 1, 2024. Through this process, funding is available for projects that restore local waterways, increase communities’ resilience to climate change and storm impacts, strengthen local economies, develop the next generation Read the Rest…
Motor Vehicle Administration, Department of Natural Resources Partnership Provides Option for Tree-Mendous Maryland Donations There is a new way for Marylanders to help restore tree cover and mitigate the harmful effects of pollution in the “Old Line State.” The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Read the Rest…
With more than 3,000 miles of shoreline, Marylanders are accustomed to living in and around water. In Annapolis and many coastal communities, high tide or “nuisance” flooding has increased dramatically since the start of the century, and scientists expect that trend to continue as rising water and sinking land impacts these low-lying areas. More frequent Read the Rest…
Funds Support Planning and Design of Green Infrastructure Solutions The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced the award of $415,000 to seven climate resilience projects to help communities prepare for, and recover from, climate-related impacts. These competitive grants are designed to help communities plan and design solutions to withstand flooding and other weather-related events. Read the Rest…
Registration for Spring and Early Summer Cohorts Now Open The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces open enrollment for two upcoming cohorts of the Maryland Climate Leadership Academy, free courses offered virtually over the course of eight weeks. This series is designed to prepare anyone interested in seeking Certified Climate Change Professional credentials or increasing Read the Rest…
Funding for Resiliency in Baltimore City, Anne Arundel, and St. Mary’s Counties The Board of Public Works today approved funding for two Resiliency through Restoration projects and one Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund grant, to help Maryland’s communities enhance their ability to withstand the impacts of climate change, erosion, flooding and extreme weather.
Department Awards $26.2 Million through Grants Gateway The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the awarding of $26.2 million to improve water quality, increase flood resiliency, and help grow the next generation of Maryland’s environmental stewards.
State Developing Leaders to Address Climate Challenges The Hogan administration today recognized 40 professionals as Maryland’s first class of Climate Change Professionals, an international credential administered by the Association of Climate Change Officers, during the meeting of the Board of Public Works. These professionals earned their certifications by participating in six days of training provided Read the Rest…
Anne Arundel County Classes Start in February The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announces open enrollment for Maryland Climate Leadership Academy courses in Annapolis, which will be starting in February. Registration is open until Jan. 31, but classes are capped at 75 participants. The free class will be taught in three segments: Feb. 20-21; March Read the Rest…
The Board of Public Works today approved $248,480 for four Resiliency through Restoration projects, selected through a competitive solicitation, to help Maryland’s communities enhance their resiliency to the effects of climate change, erosion, flooding, and extreme weather.
Conservation Easements Protect Farmland and Watersheds The Board of Public Works today approved Rural Legacy Program grants totaling $2.1 million that will provide dedicated state funding to permanently protect working farms and forests, and provide vegetative stream buffers to improve water quality and bolster climate resilience in designated areas across the state. Working through local governments and Read the Rest…
Cheers to a Half-Century of Conservation Management and Stewardship Happy New Year! We welcome 2019 as a milestone in our mission as the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will celebrate its semicentennial anniversary July 1. Under the leadership of then-Gov. Marvin Mandel, the department was formed in 1969 as a merger of five existing state Read the Rest…
First Cohort Kicks Off in November The Maryland Department of Natural Resources today opened enrollment for the Maryland Climate Leadership Academy, the nation’s first state-led program aimed at helping community leaders, critical infrastructure, local governments and state agencies effectively plan for and implement climate change initiatives. The Maryland Climate Leadership Academy’s first cohort will kick off Read the Rest…
Signs of spring were late to arrive in Maryland this year. Still, as temperatures slowly rose and days lengthened throughout April, leaves grew on trees and plants sprouted into flower. Birds and spring peepers made their presence known through trilling song and chirping call, and insects began to take wing. Later this year, frosty mornings Read the Rest…
Innovative Project Seeks to Build Resilience to Severe Weather with Natural Structures The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has begun a coastal resiliency project at Assateague State Park aimed at reducing shoreline erosion. The park improvement project will occur on a tidal marsh area located on the west side of the Verrazano Bridge, adjacent to Read the Rest…
$700,000 Provided to Address Climate Change, Flooding, Sea Level Rise The Maryland Department of Natural Resources today announced $700,000 in Climate Resilience Grants to help communities prepare for and recover from climate-related impacts. The competitive grants are designed to help strengthen a community’s ability to assess risk through planning and construct solutions to boost their Read the Rest…
Resilience Favors the Prepared State June marks the beginning of hurricane season, but unfortunately we have already seen the devastating effects that torrential rain and storms can cause in our communities, most recently in Baltimore City, Catonsville, Ellicott City and Washington County. My thoughts and prayers are with all the communities and citizens affected by Read the Rest…
Connecting People, Innovation and Opportunity May 21-23 in Cambridge The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science will bring together more than 200 local officials, business and industry leaders, resource stakeholders and users, scientists, and federal and state agency experts for Maryland’s first State of the Coast conference. The Read the Rest…
Statewide Program Focuses on Most Cost-Effective and Efficient Water Quality Improvement Projects The Maryland Department of Natural Resources released today the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund 2018 Annual Report, which details the program’s activities, expenditures and initiatives, including restoring 2,700 acres of wetlands, installing 1,161 acres of riparian buffer and educating and engaging Read the Rest…
Department Experts to Answer Questions about Funding Local Projects The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is hosting four information sessions in two locations for local communities and nonprofits wishing to apply for funding through the Community Resilience Grant program in the coming fiscal year. The department invites local partners to propose projects to prepare for coastal Read the Rest…
Department Seeks Local Proposals to Enhance Resiliency and Sustainability Local communities and nonprofits are invited to apply for funding from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to prepare for coastal flooding, storms and other climate-related impacts, and to enhance community resiliency and sustainability through natural, nature-based and green infrastructure. New this year, local entities may also apply for design Read the Rest…
Four Demonstration Projects Proposed The Board of Public Works today approved funding for a new Coastal Resiliency Grant Program to help Maryland’s coastal communities enhance their resiliency to the effects of extreme storms and weather. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources program will help design four shoreline improvement demonstration projects across the state with an additional two Read the Rest…
State Agencies Report Progress on Implementing Construction Program Maryland state agencies have reported their progress in implementing the Coast Smart Construction Program, a statewide effort to address impacts from coastal flooding, storm inundation and sea level rise on state-funded building projects. These initiatives are recorded in the first Annual Report issued by the Maryland Coast Smart Read the Rest…