Record fish caught in Tangier Sound, breaks record held for three years A Somerset County resident has officially been recognized by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for a new state fishing record in the Chesapeake Bay Division for sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus). Brian Summerlin, of Princess Anne, caught the 16.6-pound fish September 17 in Tangier Read the Rest…
Dredge Material Being Used to Enhance Deal Island Wildlife Management Area The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife and Heritage Service invites the public to a meeting to learn details of a large-scale project at Deal Island Wildlife Management Area in Somerset County. The meeting will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Read the Rest…
Permit Applications for Somerset County Wildlife Management Areas Now Available The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced the annual schedule and process for waterfowl hunting at the Deal Island and Fairmount Wildlife Management Area impoundments. The current program is being managed to reduce crowding and maintain the quality of waterfowl hunting opportunities during Read the Rest…
The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) cited numerous individuals for hunting and fishing violations throughout the state in December.
Input on Potential Sites Taken Through March 9 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is soliciting feedback on potential sites to receive substrate and seed restoration of oyster habitat in the Manokin River Sanctuary in Somerset County. Information about the sites proposed, including a video presentation, is available now on the department’s website. Public comment Read the Rest…
Deadline for Hunt Clubs to Enter Lottery is Aug. 25 Hunt clubs interested in obtaining a hunting lease agreement on Chesapeake Forest Lands can now enter a lottery for individual, non-leased tracts in Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will accept online entries until 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 25, 2020.
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…
Public Meeting Scheduled in Salisbury Sept. 24 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has developed a new, revised proposal for administering hunting leases on Chesapeake Forest Lands. A copy of the new revised proposal and place for comment is available on the department’s website. Additionally the department is hosting a public meeting from 6 p.m. Read the Rest…
Applications Taken for Somerset County Impoundments Hunters can now submit applications for the annual permit-only waterfowl hunting days on Deal Island Wildlife Management Area and Fairmount Wildlife Management Area impoundments, located in Somerset County on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Permits will be issued through a lottery drawing, with assignments based upon a hunter’s stated preference for Read the Rest…
Comments Taken on Proposed Changes Through July Aug. 19 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comment on a proposal for restructuring the Chesapeake Forest Lands lease program for hunting clubs.
Forest Service to Review Proposed Changes June 18 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will host a public meeting June 18 to present a newly developed proposal for restructuring the Chesapeake Forest Lands lease program for hunting clubs. Maryland Forest Service staff will be on hand to answer general questions about the proposal and provide Read the Rest…
Students to Join State, County Officials for Tree-Planting Somerset County government, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will hold its first Arbor Day celebration with a tree planting event on April 24. The event begins at 10 a.m. next to the Board of Education Building, 7982A Tawes Campus Drive, Westover. Local and Read the Rest…
Order Deadline is April 26 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree seedlings to landowners in Somerset and Worcester counties who have a creek, drainage ditch, stream or other waterway on or near their property through the Backyard Buffers program. Trees and shrubs planted along waterways help improve water quality by absorbing excess Read the Rest…
Positive Grades for Maryland’s Coastal Bays The Maryland Coastal Bays Program recently unveiled the 2017 Coastal Bays Report Card, a snapshot assessment on the health and resiliency of the coastal bays surrounding Ocean City and Assateague Island. The bays’ collective health received a “B-,” its highest grade ever reported! Nutrient reductions have shown a positive Read the Rest…
Minimum Size for Harvested Oysters is 3 Inches The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the 2018-2019 public oyster harvest season will open Oct. 1 and run through March 31, 2019. Opening month is reserved for divers and watermen using patent and shaft tongs, as well as recreational oystering. During the season, recreational oyster harvesting 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…
Eastern Shore Tributary Provides Best Possibility for Success; State to Maximize Oyster Restoration in Anne Arundel County Tributaries The Maryland Department of Natural Resources today announced its intention to recommend the Manokin River in Somerset County as the fifth and final tributary for large-scale oyster restoration as per Maryland’s commitment to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Read the Rest…
Volunteers Sought for Beach Cleanup Sept. 15 The annual International Coastal Cleanup at Janes Island State Park begins at 9 a.m. Sept. 15. This event provides volunteers the opportunity to learn more about the Somerset County park, have a boat ride and earn community service hours while cleaning beaches and marshes.
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…
Permits for Deal Island and Fairmount Wildlife Management Areas Hunters can now submit applications for the annual permit-only waterfowl hunting days at Deal Island Wildlife Management Area and Fairmount Wildlife Management Area impoundments in Somerset County. Applications to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources must be received by Sept. 10. Permits will be issued through a lottery Read the Rest…
We all face daily challenges that tug at how we spend the dear time that is given to us. All anglers and outdoor enthusiasts know how hard it is to follow their favorite pursuits. Summer is fleeting, make time.
New Opportunity to Enjoy Lower Eastern Shore Destination The Maryland Department of Natural Resources now offers visitors to Janes Island State Park in Somerset County free use of fishing gear and tackle as part of a new pilot project between Fishing and Boating Services and the Maryland Park Service. The state park in Crisfield is a well-known Read the Rest…
Cite Somerset County Man for Illegally Dumping Dead Crabs on Wildlife Management Area The extended Independence Day holiday resulted in the arrest of 14 people on charges of operating a boat while impaired by alcohol or drugs. The largest number of arrests – 10 – occurred on the first holiday weekend, which coincided with Operation Read the Rest…
Interagency Partners Celebrate Navigation Improvement Project at Rhodes Point The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, in coordination with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources; Somerset County; Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Smith Island United, and other partners, marked the completion of two major milestones 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…
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…
Available to Riparian Homeowners in Somerset and Worcester The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree plantings to help improve water quality in targeted Lower Eastern Shore communities. Somerset and Worcester 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…
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…
Somers Cove Marina Executive Director Tom Schisler Recognized at Board of Public Works Governor Larry Hogan recognized Maryland Department of Natural Resources employee Tom Schisler today with a Customer Service Heroes Award. Schisler, executive director of Somers Cove Marina in Crisfield, was honored for enhancing customer service and improving facility maintenance at the state-managed marina. Read the Rest…
Federal, State and Local Partners Move on Critical Navigation and Environmental Projects The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, is starting work on two critical projects to benefit Smith Island residents — a navigation improvement project at Rhodes Point that includes the construction of two jetties, and dredging the Big Thorofare and Twitch Cove Read the Rest…
Joint Police Investigation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service A man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to two counts of illegally transporting protected wildlife in a case investigated by federal agents and the Maryland Natural Resources Police. William Carl Bartlett, 65, of Eastpoint, Florida faces a maximum prison term of two years and a 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…
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…
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…
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.
Dave Alveberg Reels in 13.73-pound Fish The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has confirmed a Deal Island resident has set a new state fishing record in the Chesapeake Division for sheepshead. Dave Alveberg caught the 13.73-pound record breaking fish Aug. 17, in roughly 4 feet of water off South Marsh Island near Tangier Sound.
Limited Number of Deal Island, Fairmount Wildlife Management Area Permits Issued by Lottery Hunters can now submit applications for the annual permit-only waterfowl hunting days on Deal Island and Fairmount wildlife management areas, located in Somerset County on Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore. Permits will be issued through a lottery drawing, with assignments based upon a Read the Rest…
Program Open Space Acquisition Supports Economy, Environment and Recreation Chesapeake Forest Lands will increase by 1,664 acres following Board of Public Works approval today of a Maryland Department of Natural Resources conservation acquisition in Somerset County. The adjoining and contiguous parcel will be integrated into the Chesapeake Forest Lands sustainable forestry management plan and provide for Read the Rest…
Public Comment on Project Accepted Until July 7 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District has opened a public comment period ending July 7 for an environmental assessment for a navigation improvement project at Rhodes Point in collaboration with Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Somerset County. The Corps’ Baltimore District proposes to realign Read the Rest…
Department Program Assists Planning for Coastal Hazards The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will provide $125,000 total to three communities to reduce the impact of tidal flooding. These competitive Community Resiliency Grants will help local governments prepare for weather-related hazards, including flooding, sea level rise and storm events. CoastSmart Communities is a department program dedicated to 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 Natural Resources Police officers made three fisheries cases, charged a deer poacher and cited a man for dumping and burning rubbish on state land in recent enforcement action. Three Somerset County men were charged Sunday with multiple counts of illegal harvesting from state waters and falsifying records to hide their activity.
150-Acre Easement Includes Waterfront A Somerset County couple recently donated a conservation easement that permanently protects more than 150 acres, including a mile of waterfront property along the Big Annemessex River.
Easement Protects Open Space and Waterfowl Habitat on the Lower Eastern Shore A new conservation easement of more than 200 acres will permanently protect important farmland and wildlife habitat in Oriole. Property owner Kevin Barr donated the tract to the Maryland Environmental Trust to safeguard its scenic open space and wetlands.
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