Dedicates $2 Million a Year for Oyster Fishery and Recovery Governor Larry Hogan announced today that the Maryland Department of Transportation and Maryland Department of Natural Resources have entered into a new agreement that will provide millions of dollars for ongoing oyster activities in Chesapeake Bay. “Our administration has invested more than $4 billion to Read the Rest…
Many of us who have spent a lifetime fishing remember the first fish we ever caught. For some, that memory might include a tough and pugnacious little rascal called the bluegill sunfish. It has a habit of attacking most any bait with total abandon and have the fighting strength of a bull – making it Read the Rest…
Note: If you’re looking for the June 13 report, please click here. The northern snakehead has gotten a lot of press attention and has been called “Frankenfish.” It inspired a movie called “Snakehead Terror” about 8-foot long fish terrorizing a lakeside community, which helped create a common belief that snakeheads can walk on land. In Read the Rest…
Projects Funded Statewide for Better Boating Access, Navigation and Safety The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is providing $12.5 million in Waterway Improvement Fund grants to enhance and improve public boating access, facilities and navigation throughout the state. This critical Fiscal Year 2019 funding will go toward 57 projects in 18 counties, from Garrett to Wicomico counties as well Read the Rest…
Police Handle Oyster and Striped Bass Violations A Washington County man known on social media as “VenomMan20” was found guilty Tuesday on two counts of illegal possession of venomous snakes. Brandon Joseph Boyles, 29, of Cascade, was prohibited from owning “dangerous animals” in Maryland and was required to perform 20 hours of community service by Read the Rest…
A Dorchester County man caught illegally harvesting oysters inside a state sanctuary November by Natural 1, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources helicopter, was found guilty and fined $1,000. Jody Daniel Jackson, 18, of East New Market pleaded guilty in Dorchester County District Court to a single count of harvesting oysters about 2.5 miles inside Read the Rest…
Seven men in Washington and Frederick counties were charged this week at the start of spring wild turkey season with illegal hunting with the use of bait. Maryland Natural Resources Police officers fanned out before the season opened to locate illegal bait – mostly corn – left near hunting blinds. They returned before dawn Wednesday Read the Rest…
An investigation into illegal shooting on private property has resulted in the arrest of a Glen Burnie man on 13 criminal charges and the seizure of four guns from his property. Kevin Patrick Chetelat, 55, will appear in Anne Arundel County District Court in Annapolis March 24 for a preliminary hearing on the charges, which Read the Rest…
A Prince George’s County man was charged Sunday with recreational fishing on a suspended license. A Natural Resources Police officer on surveillance on the Dorchester County side of the Bill Burton Fishing Pier State Park saw Elser Roque Guerra, 35, of Hyattsville, fishing for striped bass. When approached, Guerra told the officer that he was Read the Rest…
Available to Riparian Homeowners in Dorchester and Wicomico The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free trees to help improve water quality in targeted Lower Eastern Shore communities. Dorchester and Wicomico County landowners who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream or other waterway on or near their property are eligible for free tree seedlings through the department’s Backyard Read the Rest…
New Library, Audio-Visual Exhibits and Programs Mark Occasion March 10 – 11 The Maryland Park Service is celebrating the first anniversary of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center in Dorchester County March 10 and 11, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Special events are planned throughout the weekend, along with the debut of Read the Rest…
Work2Live WELL Now Recruiting Applicants in Baltimore City and Cambridge The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, today launched a new workforce development, skills and training program, Work2Live WELL, designed to provide entry into the emerging careers fields of the environment and natural resources. With Read the Rest…
Farm Links Protected Areas to Create a 7,730-acre Corridor of Conserved Lands A partnership between the U.S. Navy, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and the Chesapeake Conservancy has led to the permanent protection of 230 acres on a family-owned farm in Dorchester County. Spread over three parcels, the farm Read the Rest…
Bringing Everyone on Board for Stewardship As we commemorate Black History Month and celebrate the many contributions of African Americans like Benjamin Banneker, Clarence Mitchell Jr., Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Josiah Henson, Matthew Henson and Thurgood Marshall, it is a time to reflect on Maryland’s past as well as the Free State’s future.
Registration Now Open The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will conduct a series of workshops in Anne Arundel, Dorchester and Harford counties to provide valuable information for marine facilities interested in learning about the Maryland Clean Marina Initiative. Sessions times and locations are: 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 7 at Bush River Yacht Club, Read the Rest…
Fourth Annual Season Sees Harvest in 22 of 23 Counties Hunters reported taking 87 wild turkeys during Maryland’s 2018 winter turkey season, which was open Jan. 18-20 statewide. Turkeys were harvested in 22 of the 23 counties, with St. Mary’s, Dorchester, Garrett and Washington counties reporting the highest numbers, according to the Maryland Department of Read the Rest…
River Rescue, Illegal Hunting Top Natural Resources Police Activities An Anne Arundel County man was rescued Thursday morning from the ice-clogged Patapsco River as he clung to the his overturned kayak. Randall Heath, 46, of Pasadena fell from his boat while duck hunting about a quarter-mile offshore. His life jacket did not inflate and could Read the Rest…
Sunday Hunting Contributed to Total Maryland hunters reported taking 34,412 deer during the state’s most popular hunt, the two-week firearm season. The total was similar to last year’s official harvest of 35,002. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reported that more than 4,000 deer were taken on the two Sundays during the season, more than 10 percent of Read the Rest…
Cite Four Dirt Bikers with Illegal Operation A Dorchester County man was charged with multiple counts of illegal oystering during a joint operation between Maryland Natural Resources Police officers on the ground and Natural 1, the department’s recently reacquired helicopter. Jody Daniel Jackson, 18, of East New Market, was spotted harvesting oysters with a power Read the Rest…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Nov. 18-19, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Office of Tourism. Well the Maryland leaf peeper season is coming to a close. While there are some spots of red and yellow in St. Mary’s County and some oaks peaking in Read the Rest…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Nov. 11-12, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Office of Tourism. In western Maryland it appears that everything is happening at once, as eastern Allegany, Washington and Frederick counties are all reporting peak conditions, although muted. Weather has Read the Rest…
Rescue Two Canoeists on Chester River; Cite Three for Striped Bass Violations A Maryland Natural Resources Police officer on patrol Wednesday evening arrested two men for possession of heroin during a traffic stop on Route 24 in Harford County. Joseph Francis Vanderwiele, 29, of Abingdon, was driving down the shoulder of the road around a traffic Read the Rest…
Grants Permanently Protect 6,500 Acres Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the Board of Public Works, including Comptroller Peter Franchot and Treasurer Nancy Kopp, unanimously adopted a Maryland Department of Natural Resources recommendation approving 17 Rural Legacy Program grants – totaling over $23 million. Funding from these grants will permanently protect over 6,500 acres of working farms, forests and Read the Rest…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Oct. 7 and 8, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Office of Tourism. In Garrett County, oaks are just starting to change and there are pockets of brilliant color, mostly maples, sassafras and sumac. The wet areas and swamps continue Read the Rest…
Officers aboard a Maryland Natural Resources Police patrol boat in Ocean City apprehended a Delaware man Saturday night wanted for the attempted murder of two police officers. Antonio Ambrosino, 18, of Seaford, was wanted after his vehicle struck an Ocean City officer and a Worcester County deputy sheriff attempting to arrest him on drug charges. Read the Rest…
Department Provides a Record $102,548 to 45 Departments in 17 Counties The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced today that a record number of volunteer fire departments applied for and received Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants in 2017, resulting in the most funding distributed in state history. “Volunteer Fire Assistance Grants allow us to support our first Read the Rest…
Opening Month Reserved for Divers and Tongers Maryland’s 2017-2018 public oyster harvest season kicks off Oct. 2 and runs through March 31, 2018. The opening month is reserved for divers and watermen using patent and shaft tongs, as well as recreational oystering. The recreational harvest of oysters in Maryland is open to any resident during the season. Each Read the Rest…
Many would agree we are entering one of the most beautiful times of the year in Maryland. Mornings are cool and daytime temperatures are inviting for outdoor activities. Where I live crops are being harvested, wildlife is on the move, bait in the tidal rivers is beginning to feel the urge to move out into 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…
Natural Resources Police Investigate Boating Accident, Charge Deer Poacher, Cite Fishing Violators A St. Mary’s County man whose Maryland commercial waterman’s license was revoked in 2015 for oyster harvesting violations has been banned from any oystering activity on the Potomac River for the coming season. James Phillip Nelson, 41, of California, was convicted in St. Read the Rest…
After being away for two weeks, I’m struck by the changes that are occurring as we drift out of the grasp of summer. We all need to thank Erik Zlokovitz for doing such a great job covering the fishing report and keeping you informed of our fishing opportunities in Maryland while I was away.
Sealed Bids Accepted Until Oct. 17 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is currently accepting bids for the 2017-2018 trapping seasons at several Eastern Shore Wildlife Management Areas – Ellis Bay, Fishing Bay, Idylwild, LeCompte, Linkwood, Nanticoke River, Taylor’s Island and Wetipquin.
18 Maryland Counties Receive Waterway Improvement Fund Grants The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is providing $10.5 million in Waterway Improvement Fund grants to improve public boating access and navigation throughout the state. Passed by the Maryland General Assembly and signed by Governor Larry Hogan, this critical funding will go toward 49 projects in 18 counties from Allegany Read the Rest…
A Charles County man was arrested on criminal assault charges after anglers on Middletown Branch complained that he fired on them. The victims told Maryland Natural Resources Police officers that they were bowfishing at about 10:30 p.m. May 13, when a man began yelling obscenities at them and shining a light on them. They then Read the Rest…
A Florida man was arrested and charged with a handgun violation Sunday by Maryland Natural Resources Police officers at an event at the Maryland State Fairgrounds. Michael Steven Friend Jr., 32, of Port Saint Lucie, was a vendor at the Repitcon Reptile Show when officers checking for the sale of illegal species noticed he was Read the Rest…
Garrett County Leads State with 429 Birds The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced today that hunters reported harvesting 4,175 wild turkeys during the 2017 regular spring and junior hunt turkey seasons. This year’s harvest was 8 percent higher than 2016 (3,874) and marked the third consecutive record harvest in the state. It is also well above Read the Rest…
49 Recipients Get Funds for Local Cleanup and Conservation Activities The Maryland Environmental Trust has awarded 49 Keep Maryland Beautiful grants totaling over $160,000 to municipalities, nonprofits and schools for beautification projects, community cleanup activities and environmental education programs throughout the state. Nineteen counties and Baltimore City received the grants, an annual program funded by the Maryland Environmental Trust, Maryland Department Read the Rest…
A trespassing complaint in Frederick County last Monday morning turned into a felony gun arrest of a Thurmont man convicted of a sex offense. John Ryan Coblentz, 27, was stopped by an officer checking a report of a trespassing hunter on land owned by NVA Properties LLC off Retreat Road in Walkersville.
Nine Men Cited for Striped Bass Violations Continued late-night enforcement at Fishing Creek Bridge in Dorchester County by the Maryland Natural Resources Police resulted in nine men being charged with illegal fishing and 154 undersized striped bass being seized.
A West Virginia man has been arrested and charged in connection with a recent series of fires that damaged almost 58 acres in Green Ridge State Forest in Allegany County. Brian Chad Twigg, 19, of Paw Paw, West Virginia, was arrested on a warrant Monday and ordered held on a $5,000 bond at the Allegany Read the Rest…
The opening of spring wild turkey earlier this week resulted in charges by the Maryland Natural Police against two men while officers continued striped bass enforcement efforts on the Eastern Shore. On Tuesday, officers on patrol at 6:30 a.m. in Washington County issued citations to a Hagerstown man after finding cracked corn spread in front of his hunting blind.
Sunday Hunting Now Permitted on Private Lands in Kent County Spring turkey hunting season starts statewide April 18, and a growing number of Maryland counties now allow hunting on Sundays. Governor Larry Hogan signed legislation from the 2017 General Assembly permitting turkey hunting on private land in Kent County on all remaining Sundays during the 2017 Read the Rest…
A Frederick man convicted of multiple counts of deer poaching Tuesday had his hunting privileges suspended for two years by a district court judge. Tyler James Murphy, 21, pleaded guilty to eight charges: failing to report a deer kill, failing to complete the Big Game Harvest Record, failing to report a deer kill within 24 Read the Rest…
Striped bass possession and a drug arrest topped the list of cases handled recently by the Maryland Natural Resources Police. Over two nights of surveillance, officers charged nine men with possessing 87 striped bass from the waters of Dorchester County.
Reducing Runoff at MedStar Harbor Hospital and Providing Green Space for Patient Rehabilitation From the Chesapeake Bay Trust: Today the Chesapeake Bay Trust (the Trust), Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Chesapeake Bay Program, MedStar Harbor Hospital, Blue Water Baltimore, and Plisko Sustainable Solutions announced plans to design nine green infrastructure facilities with funds Read the Rest…
The Maryland Natural Resources Police handled oyster and striped bass cases and made a drug arrest in recent enforcement activity on the Eastern Shore. Three men were charged Monday with illegal oystering in Talbot County after an investigation of activity in Broad Creek and Tred Avon River.
Governor Commits to Full Funding of Harriet Tubman Statue on State House Grounds In honor of Harriet Tubman Day, Governor Larry Hogan today announced the grand opening of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Church Creek, Maryland. The governor joined nearly 500 guests for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including descendants of Harriet Ross Tubman, Read the Rest…
Community Service and Restitution Mandated; Forfeiture of Rifle and Trophy; Hunting Privileges Revoked Two men became the first sentenced under a new state anti-poaching law after they were found guilty of multiple charges Wednesday in Dorchester County District Court. Andrew Collison Harding, 21, of Vienna, and Toby Allen Hughes, 21, of Seaford, Delaware, were convicted of casting Read the Rest…
Hunters reported taking 109 wild turkeys during Maryland’s third annual winter turkey hunting season, which was open statewide Jan. 19-21. The harvest was significantly higher than the 61 birds taken last winter, which was hampered by severe weather, and slightly higher than the inaugural 2015 season.
Deer poaching topped the docket of cases handled this week by the Maryland Natural Resources Police. Acting on tips, officers charged a Pennsylvania man Thursday with 10 counts of deer poaching in Frederick County.