Following a review of weather and ground conditions, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has rescinded a statewide ban on open-air burning that was implemented to prevent the spread of wildfires across the state. Extremely dry conditions that had persisted throughout the year led to an above average number of wildfires statewide in October, leading […]
Continue ReadingJeremy Elmore’s quest to qualify began with an accidental catch, and ended in a small pond Jeremy Elmore of Preston has earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ FishMaryland program. Elmore is the 14th Master Angler since the program began in 2019. The award recognizes recreational anglers who catch […]
Continue ReadingBowhunting opportunities continue into February The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will open the archery hunting season for white-tailed and sika deer on September 6, 2024. The season runs intermittently through January 31, 2025. Archers may use vertical longbows and vertical recurve bows Feb. 1 and Feb. 3-4, 2025 during the third annual Primitive Deer Hunt […]
Continue ReadingHotline or online form available; reports contribute data to marine science The Maryland Department of Natural Resources asks residents and visitors enjoying coastal and tidal waterways to remain alert for marine mammals and sea turtles through the end of summer and early fall. Dolphins, manatees, sea turtles, whales, and other marine wildlife are regular seasonal […]
Continue ReadingUnderwater grass abundance–a key indicator of water quality and habitat–remained steady in 2023 in the state’s portion of Chesapeake Bay, reaching 37,770 acres, according to data released this week by the Chesapeake Bay Program and Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Overall, an estimated 82,937 acres of underwater grasses, also called submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), […]
Continue ReadingThe Maryland Department of Natural Resources will provide $21.5 million in Waterway Improvement Fund allocations to communities and projects throughout Maryland in Fiscal Year 2025, which began July 1, 2024. The funds will support new and improved public boating access facilities, dredging of navigable public waterways; emergency vessels and equipment for local first responders; and […]
Continue ReadingThe Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced regulations for the summer recreational striped bass fishing season that began on May 16, 2024, which continues existing conservation measures put in place in an effort to protect the striped bass fishery on the East Coast. Striped bass season in the mainstem of the Chesapeake Bay will be […]
Continue ReadingThe Maryland Park Service graduated 21 new State Park Rangers following four weeks of training. The rangers were honored in a ceremony at Elk Neck State Park and NorthBay Adventure Camp. “As I have visited our public lands across the state, I have been impressed by the preparedness and dedication of Maryland State Park Rangers,” […]
Continue Reading. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is now accepting applications for invasive fish control grants of up to $5,000. This grant program seeks to support effective ways to remove invasive fish, particularly blue catfish and Northern snakeheads, from Maryland waters and identify sustained beneficial uses of caught fish. The application deadline is April […]
Continue ReadingStriped bass emergency regulations submitted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to bolster the species’ spawning population were approved on February 9, 2024 by the Maryland General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive, and Legislative Review, and are effective immediately. The emergency regulations extend periods of closure to recreational striped bass fishing in the […]
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