NRP to Ramp Up Enforcement with the Start of Oyster Power Dredge Season
Maryland’s six-month oyster season enters its busiest phase tomorrow with the opening of power dredge season, and the officers of the Natural Resources Police are ready for the challenge.
“Our mission from now until the end of March is to protect oysters that belong to the citizens of Maryland and protect the livelihoods of law-abiding watermen,” said DNR Secretary Joe Gill. “We will use every tool at our disposal, with officers in the air and on water and land, to inspect boats, wholesalers and retail outlets. There is no place in Maryland for oyster outlaws.” Read more
New and Upgraded Recreation Projects set for Carroll, Charles and Harford Counties
Carroll, Charles and Harford counties will soon receive funding for recreational enhancements through Program Open Space. Governor Martin O’Malley and the Board of Public Works approved the projects at today’s meeting in Annapolis. Read more
Rural Legacy Program Preserves 55 Acres in Caroline and Washington Counties
Photo by Chuck Aaron
The State permanently preserved 55 acres of Maryland’s landscape and eliminated 5 development rights through the Rural Legacy Program. Governor Martin O’Malley and the Board of Public Works approved funding for the easements in the Mid-Maryland Washington Rural Legacy Area and Agricultural Security Corridor Rural Legacy Area at today’s meeting in Annapolis. Read more
The Maryland Black Bear Hunt has Closed
Bonnie Kelley, 71, of Accident, with the first bear of the season.
The 11th annual Maryland black bear hunt concluded Thursday evening, with a total of 69 bears harvested.
For the first time, the hunt was carried out as a four-day season instead of being guided by a predetermined quota.
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NRP Seeks Public’s Help in Catching Bald Eagle Shooter
The recovered eagle later died from its injuries. Photo credit: Maryland Yacht Club
Maryland Natural Resources Police investigators are asking for the public’s help in identifying the person who shot a bald eagle in Pasadena last month that later died.
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NRP Charges Frederick, Garrett County Hunters with Violations
The Maryland Natural Resources Police charged seven people in Frederick County and one man in Garrett County with hunting violations. Read more
Drivers Should be Alert for Deer as Activity Increases
Photo by Dwight Burdette
Cooling temperatures, colorful leaves and unpredictable deer ─ all surefire signs that fall is upon us. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources urges motorists to be alert for deer and other wildlife as these animals seek fall food supplies and search for mates. Read more
Striped Bass Survey Reveals Healthy 2014 Reproduction
Maryland Fisheries biologists counting juvenile striped bass
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources today announced that the 2014 juvenile index ─ a measure of striped bass spawning success in Chesapeake Bay ─ is 11.0, nearly equal to the 61-year average of 11.7. The results indicate a healthy level of reproduction for Maryland’s state fish. Read more
NRP Academy Class Graduates, Agency Gains 21 New Officers
Graduating Officers
The ranks of the Maryland Natural Resources Police grew by 21 with the graduation Saturday of the latest class of recruits.
The new officers took their oath, administered by Col. George F. Johnson IV, NRP superintendent, at Chesapeake College before a large audience of family and friends. Read more
Fall Turkey Season to Open in Western Maryland
Maryland’s fall turkey season will open November 1 and continue through November 8, 2014. Fall turkey hunting is only permitted in Garrett, Allegany, and Washington counties with a bag limit of one turkey of either sex per hunter. Read more