Enhanced Enforcement to Target Impaired Boaters on the Waterways Maryland’s waterways are expected to be crowded this weekend, and officials from federal, state, and local law enforcement and water rescue are working to make sure the fun is not mixed with tragedy. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources joined with the U.S. Coast Guard and Read the Rest…
Boat Named After Long-Time Captain of Its Predecessor The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has christened the newest boat in its Hydrographic Operations fleet, naming it after a long-time captain of the Crisfield-Smith Island route the boat will serve. The M/V Eddie Somers was christened this week by DNR officials and its namesake at Read the Rest…
Waters Protected by Limits on Waste Discharge from Boats The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced that the Chester River and its tributaries are now a No Discharge Zone, an area of water where the discharge of all boat sewage — even when treated by a sanitation device — is prohibited. The U.S. The Environmental Read the Rest…
Maryland’s Waterway Users Get Ready Maryland’s boating season is on the horizon, and the Maryland Natural Resources Police is encouraging Marylanders to take proper precautions to ensure waterway safety. In 2020, Maryland had 155 reportable boating accidents; 64 of those accidents caused injuries and six were fatal, resulting in a total seven deaths. These numbers Read the Rest…
Safety is Essential as Boating Season Ramps Up In recognition of National Safe Boating Week, May 16-22, 2020, Maryland Natural Resources Police recommend boaters not only follow safe boating practices, but continue following updated guidance for social distancing and outdoor recreation to protect themselves against COVID-19 transmission. Following the governor’s Roadmap to Recovery, the state Read the Rest…
UPDATED May 7 Marylanders are reminded that the governor’s Stay at Home directive to reduce COVID-19 transmission remains in place, and recreational fishing and boating are currently prohibited. Fishing for sustenance is allowed, which means anglers must catch and keep any legal fish and should return home as quickly as possible after doing so. Effective Read the Rest…
Impaired Boating, Theft of Rental Boats, Illegal Harvesting Top Police Blotter A Pennsylvania man faces numerous charges after Maryland Natural Resources Police caught him fleeing the U.S. Coast Guard in the waters near Ocean City. Two Natural Resources Police patrol vessels answered a call for assistance June 29 after the vessel allegedly sped away from Read the Rest…
Department Shows Marylanders How to Save Lives The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is proud to once again participate in National Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day on Friday, May 17. Anyone driving along Taylor Avenue in Annapolis between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. will see many department staffers suited-up with various styles of Read the Rest…
Boating Safety is a Way of Life in Maryland As an avid boater, I am very appreciative that Maryland’s boating season is (finally) underway. And as the daughter of a boat builder and the wife of a former merchant marine, the importance of boater safety has been instilled in me throughout my life. I want Read the Rest…
Public Meeting to be Scheduled for Spring The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and Worcester County signed a Project Partnership Agreement Feb. 14 to start work on a navigation improvement project to address sediment accumulation, or shoaling, within the Ocean City Inlet. This navigation channel is regularly used by commercial Read the Rest…
Two people died in swimming accidents and five boat accidents were reported across Maryland during the extended Labor Day holiday weekend. In all, Maryland Natural Resources Police officers were in contact with 8,354 citizens and visitors where they conducted 1,446 boat safety inspections and arrested four people on charges of boating while intoxicated. The five Read the Rest…
Simple Steps Save Lives This year, the Fourth of July celebration falls midweek, giving many people an extended holiday. The goal over the next few days for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources is simple: fewer boating accidents. The game plan is direct: the Natural Resources Police will be going all-out on the state’s waterways, from Deep Read the Rest…
“Great Outdoors Maryland” 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 12 To recognize the 150th anniversary of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources invites the public to a free open house 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 12, at Sandy Point State Park. The celebratory event, “Great Outdoors Maryland,” will Read the Rest…
Maryland Natural Resources Police honored dozens of officers, civilian staff, first responders from other agencies and members of the public Saturday at its annual awards ceremony. Officer First Class Antonio Colvin received the Medal of Valor, the agency’s highest award, for rescuing an injured duck hunter whose kayak capsized in the ice-choked water of the Read the Rest…
J. Millard Tawes Clears Ice for Neighbors in Need The Maryland Department of Natural Resources buoy tender M/V J. Millard Tawes conducted emergency icebreaking operations to Tangier Island, Virginia, answering a call for help from our neighboring state. The crucial mission helped deliver food, fuel, mail, medications and other essential items to the island, which Read the Rest…
At the height of Thursday’s strong storms, a Maryland Natural Resources Police officer responded to a call for boaters in distress just north of Kent Narrows. Three men – all wearing life jackets – were in the water, waving for help. The officer pulled all three aboard his patrol boat and then corralled their capsized canoe Read the Rest…
Partners with U.S. Coast Guard for Operation Dry Water For the second consecutive year, the Fourth of July holiday ended without a boating fatality, the Maryland Natural Resources Police reported. Statewide there were 15 boating accidents, an increase of three over 2016, and officers arrested 12 boaters for operating under the influence of alcohol, the Read the Rest…
Maryland’s “Ride Inside” Campaign Launched During National Boating Safety Week As the boating season gets underway this Memorial Day weekend, state enforcement officials and partners are urging Maryland residents and visitors to take simple, proven steps to keep safe. This week, Maryland Natural Resources Police and the U.S. Coast Guard held events in Ocean City Read the Rest…
The J. Millard Tawes is One of Four Icebreakers on Call The Maryland Department of Natural Resources this week dispatched its vessel, the J. Millard Tawes, to break ice on the water route to Smith Island, opening the vital link between the island and nearby Crisfield Harbor.