The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have awarded the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) two grants through the Chesapeake Watershed Investment for Landscape Defense (Chesapeake WILD) program. Grant funds will support comprehensive conservation strategies including targeted reintroduction efforts for two freshwater fish species listed as species of Read the Rest…
Partnership Program to Study and Reduce Invasive Fish Population The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is continuing a northern snakehead tagging program in an effort to spur removal of invasive fish from our waters. This spring, up to 500 tags will be put on snakeheads from Gunpowder River, upper Read the Rest…
Snakeheads in the Chesapeake Bay or Blackwater River Worth up to $200 In an effort to monitor invasive northern snakeheads in the Chesapeake Bay and Blackwater River, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announces a new tagging program in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Both agencies are placing yellow or Read the Rest…
DNR Team Makes First Interagency Deployment of 2020 Maryland has dispatched a 10-person fire crew module to battle wildfires in the Rocky Mountains. Maryland State (MDS) #1 mobilized July 15 at the Green Ridge Fire Center in Allegany County. The unit arrived early Friday at Rocky Mountain Mobilization Center in Cheyenne, Wyo., and will deploy Read the Rest…
Patapsco River Surges Back to Life One of the most important dam removal projects in the Mid-Atlantic is officially complete. Project partners announced today that the Bloede Dam removal and river restoration is finished and a significant portion of the Patapsco River now flows freely through Patapsco Valley State Park. After 18 months, often spent Read the Rest…
Invasive Species Stopped at Dam But Spiked in Numbers A partnership overseeing fish passage at Conowingo Dam reports that 81 northern snakeheads were caught in the dam’s fish lift this spring, a dramatic increase after only one snakehead was found there the past two years. While all known snakeheads were stopped and dispatched before reaching Read the Rest…
Banned Pesticide Implicated in Poisoning of Bald Eagles on Eastern Shore The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are working together to address the continued illegal use of carbofuran—a banned pesticide that has been implicated in recent poisoning events in Kent and Talbot counties that have killed at least Read the Rest…
Federal, State Authorities Investigating Use of Banned Pesticide The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Maryland Natural Resources Police are asking the public for information about a series of poisoning events on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in Kent and Talbot counties.
Public Input Complete, Federal Approval is Final Step After receiving and reviewing public input, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has selected the 2019 – 2020 migratory game bird hunting seasons. These recommendations are now awaiting final approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition to close consultation with Governor Hogan’s Wildlife Advisory Read the Rest…
Public Meeting on March 6; Comment Accepted Until March 15 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now accepting public comment on the proposed 2019-2020 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons. The comment period continues until noon on March 15. Proposed season dates for all migratory game birds can be viewed on the department’s website. The seasons Read the Rest…
Federal Funds Awarded to Multistate Recovery Effort The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is part of a team of conservation agencies that was awarded a federal competitive State Wildlife Grant over the next two years to work toward the recovery of Chesapeake logperch in the Susquehanna River basin.
Happy Halloween! A Nor’easter last Saturday kept many anglers off the bay. However, some boaters were able to find a lee area on the Eastern Shore, or they fished Friday or Sunday. These die-hard anglers were rewarded with good striped bass fishing, with most folks now jigging or trolling with artificial lures. On the freshwater Read the Rest…
Multistate Partnership to Study Eight Migratory Species The Maryland Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Willistown Conservation Trust, Pennsylvania Game Commission and neighboring states, received funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to dramatically expand a revolutionary new migration tracking system across a five-state area. The competitive grant, totaling about $500,000, has Read the Rest…
Partnership Effort Restoring Patapsco River, Improving Public Safety Conservation leaders, federal and state officials, and other partners gathered today on the Patapsco River to celebrate the removal of Bloede Dam – an effort that has been a decade in the making, and will have major benefits for fisheries, public safety, recreation, and the health of Read the Rest…
Chesapeake Bay Trust Green Jobs Training Program Provides Young Adults with Employment Opportunities in Environmental Fields Today, the Chesapeake Bay Trust celebrated the newest class of its Chesapeake Conservation Corps, a green jobs program created by the Maryland Legislature to educate and train the next generation of environmental stewards. The program matches young people ages 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…
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…
Crews Stocking Waters with 300,000 Fish in 2018 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources anticipates releasing more than 300,000 brown, golden and rainbow trout in lakes, rivers and streams over the next few months, as 2018 is shaping up to be an exciting year for trout fishing in Maryland. The department’s hatchery team began preseason trout Read the Rest…
Also, Officers Rescue Dog from Burning Boat, Make Arrests for Stuffed Owls and State Park Damage A Florida man was fined and sentenced Thursday in federal court to probation and community service for illegally transporting snakes and lizards in a case investigated by Maryland Natural Resources Police. William Carl Bartlett, 66, of Eastpoint, was ordered Read the Rest…
Public Comment Accepted Through March 14 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comment on the proposed 2018-2019 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons. The public comment period will close at noon March 14. The seasons will be finalized in early spring after the department reviews public input and obtains approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Maryland Midwinter Waterfowl Survey Shows Increase from 2017 Each winter, aerial survey teams of biologists from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service make visual estimates of ducks, geese and swans along the state’s coast and shoreline. This year, teams counted about 1,023,300 waterfowl, well above the 812,600 birds observed Read the Rest…
Young Anglers Can Attend Free Events in 11 Different Counties Even as winter gripped the region, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has been making plans for the state’s young anglers when spring and summer finally arrive. This year, 38 different organizations in 11 counties across the state are hosting youth fishing rodeos, providing fun Read the Rest…
Artists Invited to Submit Original Works by March 8 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources invites artists to submit original works for the annual Maryland Black Bear Conservation and Migratory Game Bird stamp design contests. Both residents and nonresidents are encouraged to participate in these popular design contests, which remain open until March 8.
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…
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…
Effort Among Largest Such Projects in Maryland History The Nature Conservancy and Maryland Department of Natural Resources have announced the completion of the first stage of a major new project to restore floodplain connectivity to a nine-mile stretch of the Pocomoke River that had been dredged and channelized in the mid-20th century. By doing so, Read the Rest…
Effort will improve public safety, health of Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay Construction workers broke ground this month on a major project to restore the health of the Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay and improve public safety in Maryland’s Patapsco Valley State Park. Workers are relocating a sewer line and preparing the site in preparation Read the Rest…
Judge Upholds Department’s Decision on “Doc” Wexler An administrative law judge has upheld a decision of Maryland Department of Natural Resources officials to revoke the wildlife rehabilitation permit of a Calvert County man who was convicted of practicing veterinary medicine without a license. Ronald Gene Wexler, 69, of Lusby, who had appealed the November action, Read the Rest…
Important Public Safety and River Restoration Project Starts After Labor Day The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced today that the Bloede Dam, located along the Patapsco River, is scheduled to be removed from Patapsco Valley State Park over the next two years, with completion scheduled for late spring 2019. Construction staging and trail closures Read the Rest…
The Chesapeake Bay Trust, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA), Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (Montgomery DEP), and with input from the Maryland Department of the Environment, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other agency and technical partners on the Restoration Research Advisory Read the Rest…
Stop the Snakehead Fishing Derby Scheduled for June 3 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is hosting the second Annual “Stop the Snakehead Fishing Derby” June 3 at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park’s Pennyfield Lock. Interested anglers can register for the free event here. Since the 2002 discovery of snakeheads in Maryland, efforts Read the Rest…
Public Input Submitted for Final Approval After receiving and reviewing public input, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has selected the 2017-2018 migratory game bird hunting seasons. As the last step in the process, these recommendations are now pending final approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Public Comment Accepted Through March 8 The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is accepting public comment on proposed 2017-2018 Migratory Game Bird Hunting Seasons. The seasons will be finalized in early spring after the department reviews public input and obtains approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The public comment period will close at noon March 8.
Annual Survey Estimates Number of Dabblers, Divers, Ducks & Waterfowl Each winter, aerial survey teams of pilots and biologists from Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service make visual estimates of the ducks, geese and swans along the state’s Chesapeake Bay shoreline and Atlantic coast. This year, the teams counted about 812,600 waterfowl, higher Read the Rest…
1-888-373-7888
233733