{"id":35622,"date":"2022-02-02T09:45:32","date_gmt":"2022-02-02T14:45:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=35622"},"modified":"2022-02-01T16:46:47","modified_gmt":"2022-02-01T21:46:47","slug":"secretarys-message-february-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2022\/02\/02\/secretarys-message-february-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"Secretary\u2019s Message &#8211; February 2022"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Public Input Essential to Our Mission<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 368px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/51855050119_0b80dfe69a.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of two people fishing in a creek\" width=\"358\" height=\"239\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fly fishing at Morgan Run Natural Environment Area. Photo by Patrick Siebert, Maryland State House<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Our department recognizes and values the contributions of both anglers and hunters &#8211; especially when it comes to responsibly managing our natural resources. We also recognize the value in ensuring that these and other important outdoor recreation traditions continue long into Maryland\u2019s future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With support from the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF), we have been in extensive conversations with stakeholders on this topic. Our ultimate goal is development of a recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) plan for Maryland which will guide our efforts to recruit, retain, and reactivate anglers and hunters and diversify participation over the next three years.\u00a0<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">At the same time, we continue to promote opportunities for Marylanders to get outside and experience our natural resources for themselves. Our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eregulations.com\/maryland\/fishing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">2022-23 Maryland Guide to Fishing and Crabbing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> which details how to engage in our state\u2019s unparalleled fishing opportunities, is a great example of that.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We also welcome your input on these matters in the following ways:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The department reviews its hunting regulations every two years, and 2022 is a review year.\u00a0 Soliciting input from the general public, which will begin mid-February, is an important part of that review. We encourage hunters and others to provide feedback during that process. Please look for further information to be <a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/wildlife\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">posted on our website<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft \" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/7912\/46193085924_bb2e62c963.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Secretary Riccio\" width=\"225\" height=\"297\" \/>Maryland\u2019s forests also provide great recreational and ecological benefits to Marylanders. The Maryland Forest Service is seeking public comment on our proposed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/forests\/pages\/workplans.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">fiscal year 2023 annual work plans<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for state forests in Western Maryland and on the Eastern Shore. We are dependent on your input to help us develop the most comprehensive and effective management practices for these forested lands and tracts so we encourage you to weigh in.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Last but not least, if you receive a survey asking about your outdoor recreation activities, preferences, and views, or have the opportunity to give input for any of our conservation programs, please take some time to provide your honest feedback to help us in these efforts &#8211; we truly value your opinion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Thank you for your strong support of DNR\u2019s mission, as we work together to enhance, preserve, and protect our natural resources.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/Pages\/DNR_Secretary.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Public Input Essential to Our Mission Our department recognizes and values the contributions of both anglers and hunters &#8211; especially when it comes to responsibly managing our natural resources. We also recognize the value in ensuring that these and other important outdoor recreation traditions continue long into Maryland\u2019s future.\u00a0 With support from the Recreational Boating<a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2022\/02\/02\/secretarys-message-february-2022\/\">&nbsp;&nbsp;Read the Rest&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[957,3171,11,1965,4998,3172,12,14,33,13],"tags":[3197,5044,4960,4498,4035,4082],"class_list":["post-35622","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-appnews","category-boating","category-fisheries","category-maryland-forest-service","category-hiking","category-hunting","category-parks","category-nrp-news","category-the-bay","category-wildlife","tag-boating","tag-fishing","tag-hunting","tag-hunting-seasons","tag-jeannie-haddaway-riccio","tag-state-forest"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35622","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35622"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35622\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35625,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35622\/revisions\/35625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35622"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35622"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35622"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}