Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Maryland Department of Natural Resources: Your official connection to conservation & recreation Your guide to everything Natural Resources in Maryland.

Fishing, Parks, Hunting, Wildlife, Chesapeake Bay, Trees & Forests, Sustainability & much more

🍂 Fall officially arrives today!The autumn equinox hits precisely at 8:05 p.m. EDT. This is the exact moment the Sun cro...
09/22/2026

🍂 Fall officially arrives today!

The autumn equinox hits precisely at 8:05 p.m. EDT. This is the exact moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator, signaling the shift to longer nights and cooler days in the Northern Hemisphere. Enjoy those warm afternoons while they last, cozy season is officially here! 🍁✨

Wildland firefighters from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are deployed to help fight wildfires in Edinburg...
09/22/2026

Wildland firefighters from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources are deployed to help fight wildfires in Edinburgh, Texas this month. A dozer crew consisting of two Maryland Forest Service personnel, along with a Type 3 bulldozer and a support truck, are assisting with wildfire initial attack. The crew deployed on Sept. 6 and will return home by the end of the month.

Through a Cooperative Agreement with the USDA Forest Service, state forestry organizations provide trained firefighting resources to assist in containing and controlling some of the nation's largest wildfires. Maryland has participated in the compact since 1974.

Great news for Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay! Underwater grasses expanded by nearly 13% in 2025, adding more than 4,600 acre...
09/22/2026

Great news for Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay! Underwater grasses expanded by nearly 13% in 2025, adding more than 4,600 acres of critical Bay habitat in just one year.

These underwater grass beds provide essential habitat for blue crabs, fish, waterfowl, and other wildlife while improving water quality, stabilizing sediments, and helping build a healthier, more resilient Chesapeake Bay.

The gains are encouraging, and a great reminder of why protecting existing SAV, improving water quality, and continuing long-term monitoring and restoration are so important.

Read the full Maryland DNR release here:
https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2026/09/08/marylands-chesapeake-bay-underwater-grasses-expanded-nearly-13-in-2025/

🚨Pop Quiz: What industry added more than $10 billion to Maryland’s GDP?…If you guessed outdoor recreation, you’re right!...
09/21/2026

🚨Pop Quiz: What industry added more than $10 billion to Maryland’s GDP?

…If you guessed outdoor recreation, you’re right! 🤩 This industry made up $10.6 billion of the state’s GDP in 2024. We’re excited to learn how to harness outdoor recreation as an economic engine with Danny Twilley, Assistant Vice President of Economic and Community Development at the West Virginia University Brad & Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative, at the 2026 Maryland Outdoor Recreation Summit. He will draw connections between stewardship, equitable access, tourism, workforce recruitment, rural health, and community connectivity, and examine how Maryland can build an outdoor economy that benefits people and places across the state.

Join us to reflect on opportunities already in your community and consider how collaboration, strategic investment, and a shared vision can make Maryland an even more compelling place to live, work, and play!

Thanks to our Summit Sponsors!
🔸Maryland Office of Tourism
🔸ATV Safety Institute
🔸Outside Magazine
🔸Maryland Tourism Coalition
🔸Visit Hagerstown
🔸Destination Paradise
🔸Assateague Outfitters
🔸Maryland's Coast
🔸Maryland Coastal Bays Program
🔸Delmarva Trails & Waterways

September 29 - October 1, 2026
Ocean City, MD
Register here: https://marylanddnr2026.vfairs.com/en/registration-form

Chesapeake Bay Shared Stewardship AgreementMaryland State Forester Anne Hairston-Strang signed the renewed Chesapeake Ba...
09/21/2026

Chesapeake Bay Shared Stewardship Agreement

Maryland State Forester Anne Hairston-Strang signed the renewed Chesapeake Bay Shared Stewardship Agreement on behalf of Maryland last week, extending the state’s commitment to protect and restore forests across Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The five-year agreement brings Maryland together with the U.S. Forest Service, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C., to coordinate forest management, support private landowners, strengthen resilience, and improve water quality throughout the region.

The full release can be read at https://ow.ly/OJsZ50ZPNt7

09/21/2026

Giving young hunters an opportunity to experience the outdoors, Tommy Howes and his family host an annual waterfowl hunt on the Patuxent River to honor his son, Jacob, who died by su***de at age 19. Jacob grew up in the outdoors with his dad and friends—and now, through the nonprofit, Huntin’ with Jacob, Tommy is turning that passion into healing for other families facing loss.

Check out the full story of how one Maryland family is honoring a son's memory while building a stronger hunting community. 👇

Find information on Maryland hunter education classes and get your hunting license at: https://dnr.maryland.gov/Pages/service_hunting_license.aspx

📰: Maryland Natural Resources Police Report: Summer 2026The Maryland Natural Resources Police took action on alleged vio...
09/21/2026

📰: Maryland Natural Resources Police Report: Summer 2026

The Maryland Natural Resources Police took action on alleged violations of criminal and natural resource laws from June through August of this year. During the summer months, individuals were charged for violations including illegal commercial crabbing and clamming operations, weapons charges, fishing violations, crimes on public lands, wildlife violations, and other offenses. Read more: https://ow.ly/zUFB50ZPB7x

📰: Natural Resources Careers Camp Gives Students a Hands-On Look at Conservation Careers“The purpose of the camp is to g...
09/20/2026

📰: Natural Resources Careers Camp Gives Students a Hands-On Look at Conservation Careers

“The purpose of the camp is to give high school students an opportunity to explore careers in natural resources, with a focus on forestry,” Camp Director Will Williams said. “Students meet resource professionals who are eager to share their advice and experiences. Many of those presenters attended NRCC themselves as high school students.”

Registration for next year’s camp begins October 1, 2026
https://ow.ly/9yRO50ZONxs

MARYLAND FISHING REPORT: Chesapeake Channa (snakeheads) are feeding aggressively this month and offer good fishing along...
09/19/2026

MARYLAND FISHING REPORT: Chesapeake Channa (snakeheads) are feeding aggressively this month and offer good fishing along grass flats in the tidal rivers.

Largemouth bass are still holding to a summer pattern of behavior, but the evening activity is starting earlier and the morning activity progressing later. As water temperatures slowly drop, all manner of fish activity will increase.

Read more about this week in Maryland fishing. https://ow.ly/mkjr50ZOHO0

📰: Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Found Below Average Hypoxia in Early August and Near Average in Late AugustData collected b...
09/18/2026

📰: Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Found Below Average Hypoxia in Early August and Near Average in Late August

Data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Old Dominion University in August 2026 showed that volumes of hypoxia—waters with less than 2 mg/l of oxygen— were much smaller than average in early August, and near average in late August for the Chesapeake Bay mainstem of Maryland and Virginia. Read more: https://ow.ly/Opya50ZPiJo

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