Luca Tucciarella is the third youth angler to reach the milestone award Luca Tucciarella, of Forest Hill, has earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ FishMaryland program. Fifteen-year-old Tucciarella is the 16th Master Angler and the third youth angler to reach the milestone award since the program began in Read the Rest…
Long-standing record is tied with 1.0-pound fish caught in Susquehanna River The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recognizes Thomas Over Jr. of Darlington as a new state record holder for rock bass (Ambloplites rupestris) in the Chesapeake Division. Over caught a 1.0-pound rock bass January 6 in the lower Susquehanna River. Over was fishing with Read the Rest…
First Lady Yumi Hogan Participates as Judge; Top Entries’ Schools Receive Free Tree Plantings Fifth-grade students who submitted Arbor Day posters to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources had their work judged today by a panel of forestry experts and a special guest judge, Maryland First Lady Yumi Hogan, who is an accomplished artist and Read the Rest…
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) filed charges in October for a variety of conservation law violations including illegal bear hunting, striped bass violations, and deer poaching.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) recently charged several individuals throughout the state for illegal activities including impaired boating, having a concealed machete, illegally harvesting striped bass during the season closure, and other violations.
Fish Caught in Broad Creek Breaks Record Held since 2019 A Harford County youth angler has officially been recognized by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources as a new state record holder for fallfish in the nontidal division. Maxwell Diegel caught the 2.14-pound fallfish — Semotilus corporalis — on April 19 while fishing in Broad Read the Rest…
Clean Marina Program Explained in February Meetings Owners and managers of marinas, boatyards, and yacht clubs are invited to attend a free seminar to learn about becoming certified Maryland Clean Marinas. The program will provide details on commonly needed permits and plans, and an informative session on the impacts of plastic marine debris on Maryland’s Read the Rest…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for Sept. 28 and 29, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. “As we officially welcome fall this week, the cool nights and sunny days are making for a beautiful start to a colorful display in Garrett County,” reports Melissa Nash, Garrett County forest Read the Rest…
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…
Conservation Easements Protect Farmland, Forests and Waterways The Board of Public Works today approved Rural Legacy Program grants totaling $3 million that will provide dedicated state funding to permanently protect working farms and forests, and provide vegetative stream buffers to improve water quality in designated areas across the state. Working through local governments and private Read the Rest…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Nov. 17 and 18, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Forester Rob Clarke succinctly wraps up the final report for 2018 with, “Let the raking begin!”
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…
Advanced Skills in Conservation, Homeland Security Missions Two Maryland Department of Natural Resources Police lieutenants recently graduated from law enforcement training academies that specialize in advanced leadership skills.
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…
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…
Landowners Donate Easement near Historic District The Maryland Environmental Trust, a unit of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, has partnered with The Manor Conservancy to permanently protected 12 acres in Baltimore County. Landowners John and Renae Olver donated a conservation easement to protect open space and forestland in the historic My Lady’s Manor area.
Harriet Tubman Rural Legacy Area Designated in Dorchester County; Five Other Areas Expanded The Board of Public Works today approved 16 Rural Legacy Program grants – totaling over $25 million – that will provide dedicated state funding to permanently protect working farms and forests in designated areas across the state. Working through local government and private Read the Rest…
61-Acre Monk’s Creek Property Preserved in Perpetuity A scenic Harford County property has been permanently protected under a conservation easement between the Harford Land Trust and Maryland Environmental Trust, a unit of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Harford Land Trust gifted the easement on the 61-acre woodland to ensure the protection of its unique ecological Read the Rest…
Biologists Transplant Hundreds of Filter-Feeders Freshwater mussels have been absent from the Patapsco River for decades. Now thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, hundreds of mussels have returned to this scenic Maryland river. Over the span of a few days hundreds of individual Read the Rest…
Department Deploys First Crew of 2018 Season Maryland has dispatched a 20-person fire crew to battle wildfires in the western United States. Maryland State (MDS) #1 mobilized July 6 at the Madonna Ranger Station in Harford County. The unit will join five other crews from the mid-Atlantic at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, 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…
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…
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…
Riparian Homeowners Can Help Improve Water Quality The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree seedlings to help improve water quality in Harford 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.
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…
Maryland Natural Resource Police officers using radar, patrol boats and Natural One, the department’s helicopter, caught and arrested two Somerset County watermen Thursday for taking oysters from a state sanctuary. David Thomas Wheatley Sr., 53, of Princess Anne and David Thomas Wheatley II, 30, of Deal Island, were each charged with one count of illegally Read the Rest…
Otter Creek Preserve Protected Forever The Maryland Environmental Trust partnered with the Harford Land Trust to permanently protect a 104-acre woodland tract in Edgewood. The land trust gifted the conservation easement to ensure the area’s rich ecological resources and scenic land along Willoughby Beach Road were safeguarded for the benefit of future generations.
Nonprofit Recognized for Partnership in Natural Resources Mission The Maryland Wildlife Advisory Commission recently awarded the Harford County-based Susquehannock Wildlife Society the Maryland Conservationist of the Year award. The local nonprofit was recognized for accomplishments in conservation, education, research and restoration, and for the group’s partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and others in Read the Rest…
In high winds and rough seas, Maryland Natural Resources Police officers and local first responders performed a dramatic rescue of a boater in medical distress Thursday in the Chesapeake Bay. An emergency call by a marine towing company at about 6 p.m. triggered an all-out response to assist a 63-year-old Stevensville man aboard a sailboat Read the Rest…
New Office Creates “One-Stop Shop” for Customers Delivering on the Hogan administration’s Customer Service Promise, Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Deputy Secretary Jim Ports today joined Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Assistant Secretary Allan Fisher and Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration Administrator (MVA) Christine E. Nizer in officially unveiling a combined service 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…
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…
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…
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!
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Oct. 21 and 22, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Office of Tourism. The Mid-Atlantic region is basking in the glow of an Indian summer, and if you’re planning to head west this weekend, you should meet with good 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…
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…
Welcome to the Fall Foliage and Festival Report for the weekend of Sept. 23 and 24, brought to you by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland Office of Tourism. It’s official! It’s autumn in Maryland. When this weekend rolls in, thoughts will begin to turn to the sights, sounds and scents of Read the Rest…
Seven members of the Maryland Forest Service have been called into service to assist national efforts to combat a Northern California wildfire raging in the Klamath National Forest. They will join their Maryland Department of Natural Resources colleagues from the Maryland Park Service and Wildlife and Heritage Service, and a cadre of volunteer firefighters as Read the Rest…
Maryland’s first 20-person wildland fire crew of 2017, MDS #1, has been dispatched to battle wildfires in the Rocky Mountain Area of Colorado. The fully trained, certified and equipped crew was mobilized at the Madonna Ranger Station in Harford County July 8. They will join other crews from the mid-Atlantic region in Colorado over the Read the Rest…
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…
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…
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 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…