Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Nov. 3 and 4, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. There is hope for Maryland leaf peepers after all. This is the weekend to take in some brilliant autumnal colors.
135 Bears Harvested in Four Counties Favorable weather conditions helped bear hunters enjoy success during Maryland’s 15th annual black bear hunt. Official results reported by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources show that 135 hunters harvested a bear during the five-day hunt held in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties. Several large bears were taken throughout the Read the Rest…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Oct. 27 and 28, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Oct. 20 and 21, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Oct. 13 and 14, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Garrett County Forester Melissa Nash reports that most of the maples turned brown early and are already bare. “We did get some color last week, but most of those Read the Rest…
Residents Reminded to Take Common-Sense Precautions The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds residents and visitors that black bears are beginning a period of increased feeding activity in preparation for winter hibernation or torpor. Black bears in Maryland are concentrated in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties. During this time, bears may become more attracted to human-provided food Read the Rest…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Oct. 6 and 7, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. What a difference a week makes! In Western Maryland, autumn began with a slow start; however, the most recent field reports are encouraging. Garrett County Forester Melissa Nash says Read the Rest…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the first full weekend of fall, Sept. 29 and 30, 2018, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. As September comes to a close, it appears the rain will diminish and we’ll have some partly cloudy to sunny days to look forward to Read the Rest…
49 Fire Departments in 17 Counties Receive $104,099 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the 2018 Volunteer Fire Assistance grants to 49 volunteer fire departments. The projects, distributed throughout 17 counties, aim to assist volunteer fire companies and departments enhance wildland fire protection in rural areas and communities. The Maryland Forest Service awarded $104,099 in Read the Rest…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the first weekend of fall, Sept. 22 and 23, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Soon the landscape will explode with vibrant colors of orange, red and yellow. Kids will be jumping into leaf piles you just raked and we’ll all “fall” Read the Rest…
Maryland Natural Resources Police officers on patrol near a Queen Anne’s County waterfront park this week charged two men with illegal fishing activity and seized 47 fish and six female crabs. Bernardo Salvador Rivera Palma, 52, of Gaithersburg, received citations for exceeding the daily limit of striped bass, possessing 32 undersized striped bass, possessing nine Read the Rest…
Board of Public Works Approves Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Acquisition The Board of Public Works today approved a Maryland Department of Natural Resources item that will grant more than $468,000 to acquire a 77-acre Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program easement in Frederick County. Program Open Space funds will be used to purchase a permanent conservation easement Read the Rest…
Apply by Aug. 31, Drawing Sept. 4 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now accepting applications for this year’s black bear hunting lottery. Successful applicants will receive a permit valid for the five-day hunting season, taking place Oct. 22-26 in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties. The department will issue 800 hunting permits that Read the Rest…
Events for Young Outdoor Enthusiasts in Cecil and Frederick Counties The Maryland Department of Natural Resources invites youth, ages 8 to 16, with an interest in fishing, hunting, shooting sports, wildlife conservation and management to participate in upcoming Junior Hunter Field Day events in Cecil The event in Frederick County will be held 9 a.m. Read the Rest…
Library Patrons Can Check Out Gear and Tackle in Four Counties The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has partnered with libraries in four counties to enable their patrons to borrow fishing gear free of charge. The Aquatic Resources Education Program has provided five libraries in Anne Arundel, Carroll, Frederick and Harford counties with rods and reels, tackle, and Read the Rest…
18 Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund Grants Announced The Hogan Administration has awarded funding to 18 recipients through the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund to improve the health of Maryland’s waterways. The “Trust Fund” allows Maryland to accelerate Chesapeake Bay restoration and improve water quality by focusing targeted financial investments and resources on the Read the Rest…
Five Counties Report Record Harvests The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced today that hunters reported harvesting 3,861 wild turkeys during the 2018 regular spring and junior hunt turkey seasons. This year’s harvest was 8 percent lower than the record 2017 harvest, but well above the 10-year average of 3,406. “Turkey populations continue to grow in a Read the Rest…
Commission Hits the Ground Running Recently the Maryland Outdoor Recreation Economic Commission held its first meeting – and we’re ready to hit the road. Created by Governor Larry Hogan last fall, this commission will develop innovative strategies to market Maryland’s unique outdoor and heritage recreation brand, as well as recommend initiatives to attract and retain outdoor 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…
Marylanders Urged to Keep Bears Wild Now is the time when black bears are emerging from their dens, after a long winter slumber, in a search for food and sustenance. However due to the fact that natural food sources, such as berries, insects and plants are still in short supply in early spring, bears may become more Read the Rest…
Riparian Homeowners Can Help Improve Water Quality The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree seedlings to help improve water quality in Frederick County. County landowners who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream or other waterway on or near their property are eligible for free trees through the department’s Backyard Buffers program.
Two Florida men were convicted Wednesday of multiple counts of illegal deer hunting and were ordered to pay $6,000 in fines and restitution by a Cecil County District Court judge. Lawrence Eugene Tatum II, 34, of Port Saint Lucie, received $2,000 in fines for four natural resources violations and a suspended $500 fine for trespassing. Read the Rest…
Frederick County Led Statewide Totals The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced today that hunters harvested 86,542 deer during the combined archery, firearms and muzzleloader seasons, from Sept. 8, 2017, through Jan. 31, 2018. The harvest exceeded the 2016-2017 total by more than 1,000 deer. Included in the statewide total were 7,204 deer taken on Read the Rest…
Western Maryland Harvest Sees Jump; Junior Hunt Weekend Also Successful Hunters reported harvesting 13,514 deer on the opening weekend of the 2017 Maryland firearm season, the state’s most popular hunting season. The total includes 6,242 antlered and 7,272 antlerless deer, with sika deer comprising 201 of the antlered and 188 of the antlerless totals.
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…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Nov. 4 – 5, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Office of Tourism. In November we’re starting to think of oyster dressing, pumpkin pie and turkey dinners, despite the fairly mild temperatures and presence of still-green leaves on Read the Rest…
Results Indicate 131 Bears Harvested Unpredictable weather conditions in “Mountain Maryland” didn’t hamper hunters from enjoying time afield this week during the state’s 2017 Black Bear Hunting Season. Results of the 14th annual hunt reveal that 131 hunters successfully harvested a bruin over the four-day hunt in western Maryland despite battling heavy rains, reduced daylight Read the Rest…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Oct. 28 and 29, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Office of Tourism. Well, this is the weekend for ghosts, goblins and other fright-worthy tricks and treats, and there are lots of Halloween events for everyone to enjoy!
Residents Reminded to Take Common Sense Precautions The Maryland Department of Natural Resources reminds residents that black bears are beginning a period of increased feeding activity in preparation for winter hibernation. During this time, bears may become more attracted to human-provided food sources and lose their natural fear of people, which can lead to potentially dangerous Read the Rest…
Boat Explosion, Tree-Stand Falls among Maryland Natural Resources Police Responses A Sparrows Point man who thought he bagged a buck in North Point State Park paid hundreds of dollars in fines instead after he shot a Maryland Natural Resources Police robo-deer decoy. On the evening of Oct. 7, Thomas Ervin Minton, 45, was spotted by Read the Rest…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Oct. 14 and 15, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Office of Tourism. Garrett County’s biggest event of the year, the Autumn Glory Festival, is underway in Oakland and other locations throughout the county. Highlights of the festival 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…
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…
Nice Weekend for the Calvert County Fair, National Public Lands Day and Apple and Pumpkin Festivals Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Office of Tourism. October arrives this weekend and soon the full Read the Rest…
National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program Provides $55,000 On the 155th anniversary of the Battle of South Mountain, Preservation Maryland announced ambitious plans to support and enhance Maryland Park Service efforts at the historic hillside battlefield.
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for Sept. 16 and 17, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Office of Tourism. You know summer’s almost over when local county fairs fill up with farm animals, 4-H kids, arts and crafts, fall harvest exhibits, midways and cotton candy. This weekend, you can Read the Rest…
Hunters Can Apply by Aug. 31; Lottery Held Sept. 5 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now accepting applications for this year’s black bear lottery. Successful applicants will receive a permit valid for the four-day hunting season, taking place Oct. 23-26 in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties. The department will issue 750 hunting permits Read the Rest…
A Dundalk man was found guilty Thursday in district court of stealing Maryland state park passes and waterfowl hunting stamps, and selling them online. Charles Edward Ruddlesden Jr., 22, was sentenced to 90 days in the Baltimore County Detention Center and was ordered to pay $150 in restitution to the state.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Awards $21.54 Million to 18 Local Projects Governor Larry Hogan today announced that the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has awarded funding to 18 recipients through the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund to improve the health of Maryland’s waterways. The Trust Fund directs critical grant funding to the most cost-effective and efficient 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.
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…
Clara Pham from St. Mary’s County Recognized; Winners’ Schools Receive Tree Plantings Fifth-grade students from around the state have snared spring tree plantings for their schools, thanks to their award-winning Arbor Day posters submitted to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Homeowners, Campers Should Avoid Attracting Ursine Guests Black bears are starting to leave their dens after a long winter slumber in a search for food. With a scarcity of their natural food sources – plants, berries and insects – this early in the season, bears are particularly attracted to human-provided sources. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Read the Rest…
Sentenced Under Maryland’s New Anti-Poaching Law A Kent County man convicted Tuesday of illegally killing a potential state record white-tailed deer was ordered to pay a fine, make restitution to the state and perform community service. Ronald Wayne Roe, 28, of Worton, was found guilty on all counts of trespassing and poaching stemming from the shooting of Read the Rest…
Frederick County Leads State in Harvest Totals Maryland hunters harvested 85,193 deer during the combined archery, muzzleloader and firearm seasons (Sept. 9, 2016-Jan. 31, 2017), according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The harvest exceeded the 2015-2016 total by more than 1,000 deer. Included in the statewide total were 7,684 deer taken on Sundays open Read the Rest…
West Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Deer Poaching Maryland Natural Resources Police officers made four deer poaching cases and gained a conviction in recent enforcement action. Using social media, officers tracked down a convicted Carroll County deer poacher and charged him with eight new violations Friday. Tyler James Murphy, 21, of Union Bridge, posted pictures Read the Rest…
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.
