University of Maryland projects highlight adaptive management to sea-level rise and other changes You’re on a walkway in a park. You can see trees, a road, a marsh and a coastline against a vibrant blue sky all around you. Then, you hear the toll of a bell. The marsh expands, the water edges up the Read the Rest…
The Maryland Coastal Flood Explorer gives planners and decision makers access to the most current coastal flood data Maryland coastal residents can now explore local coastal flooding risks today and into the future. This month, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources released the Maryland Coastal Flood Explorer, a user-friendly and interactive mapper that allows users Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced more than $1.275 million in competitive grants for six climate resilience projects to help communities plan, design and construct solutions to withstand flooding and other weather-related events. The selected projects will reduce risk for vulnerable communities, incorporate climate change data into existing plans and policies, and develop nature-based Read the Rest…
Previously the Chesapeake and Coastal Service, WCS will continue Bay restoration work with additional climate emphasis The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has officially rebranded its Chesapeake and Coastal Service with the name Watershed and Climate Services, a name that recognizes its mission as well as its commitment to serving all Maryland communities and watersheds. Read the Rest…
State is on track towards 5 million trees goal after plantings increased significantly in 2024 Before the close of 2024, Maryland planted more than 1 million trees towards the state’s 5 Million Trees Initiative. The millionth tree was planted in western Maryland in the fall, according to Maryland Department of Natural Resources data. The milestone Read the Rest…
With DNR support, Etting Street Green Space creates resiliency in underserved area Over the years, a block in the Druid Heights neighborhood in West Baltimore had become a dumping ground for old mattresses, broken appliances, and rubble. But now, the site is transformed. Where heaps of trash had once covered enough surface that they increased Read the Rest…
Stream restoration projects like Cattail Creek offer multifaceted benefits to watersheds and ecosystems To Bob Royer, the heron that was stalking in the shallow water around a bend in Cattail Creek was a sign of promise. For one thing, it meant there were fish. But together with the red-winged blackbirds overhead, the buzzing dragonflies, and Read the Rest…
Across the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, below the water’s surface, ribbons of green sway in the current. They are stems of pondweed, eelgrass, widgeon grass, stargrass, and a number of other species. Together they make up the underwater grasses that form a crucial habitat for Bay life, help clean the water, and mitigate effects 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…
Maryland DNR Accepting Grant Applications for Fiscal Year 2026 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the Grants Gateway application is open for local governments and organizations for Fiscal Year 2026, which begins July 1, 2025. Through this process, funding is available for projects that restore local waterways, increase communities’ resilience to climate change and Read the Rest…
The recent dry spell notwithstanding, the Atlantic hurricane season is underway. NOAA National Weather Service forecasters’ outlook for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to November 30, predicted an 85% chance of an above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin this year. Maryland’s 3,190 miles of shoreline – including land abutting Read the Rest…
Maryland state forests recently completed their annual recertification process Independent auditors recently reviewed the Pocomoke State Forest and Chesapeake Forest Lands, two state forests on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and recertified them as sustainable, meeting international standards for forest management. Twenty-one years ago, the Chesapeake Forest Lands became the state’s first certified forests, a recognition now Read the Rest…
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced more than $2.9 million in competitive grants for 12 climate resilience projects to help communities design and construct solutions to withstand flooding and other weather-related events. The selected projects will reduce risk for vulnerable communities, incorporate climate change data into existing plans and policies, and develop nature-based or Read the Rest…
The Middle Branch Resiliency Initiative could be a model for urban and community-led restoration Located in the shadow of a Baltimore City hospital, within earshot of the highway, a stretch of waterfront along the Patapsco River may not appear to be a likely place for a living shoreline. But a community-led environmental partnership is transforming Read the Rest…
