BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland fifth graders have until March 3 to submit entries for the annual Arbor Day Poster Contest, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Forest Conservancy District Boards announced. The contest, open to all fifth graders in public and private schools statewide, encourages young artists to celebrate Maryland’s forests and trees through original artwork. This year’s theme is “Trees […]
BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is implementing a statewide ban on open air burning, effective Friday, November 1, in all Maryland counties. Extremely dry conditions persist across the state and have led to an above average number of wildfires statewide, and conditions are not expected to change in the near future. The ban will remain in effect until […]
BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced the selection of three new sites for large-scale oyster restoration in the Chesapeake Bay. This marks the beginning of the state’s next phase of major oyster restoration efforts. The new sanctuaries will be located in Herring Bay, the Nanticoke River, and Hoopers Strait. These sites were chosen based on their potential […]
ANNAPOLIS, MD—The Rural Legacy Program is celebrating 25 years of conservation success, preserving over 125,000 acres of land in Maryland. The program was created to encourage local governments and land trusts to work together to protect ecologically valuable properties, farms, and forests. The Maryland General Assembly approved the program in 1997, and it’s credited with saving taxpayers $405 million. The […]
BALTIMORE, MD—A total of $21.5 million will be allocated to improve public boating access, dredging of navigable waterways, and safety for the next fiscal year, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. In Baltimore County, Gunpowder Falls State Park is set to receive nearly $2.5 million. The funding comes from a variety of sources including a 5% excise tax […]
BALTIMORE, MD—The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has announced that it will award a $10 million grant for the construction of a new oyster sanctuary in the Chesapeake Bay. The funding will help establish a sustainable future for the Chesapeake Bay’s oyster population, which is critical to the health of the bay’s ecosystems and economy. The new reef will […]
BALTIMORE, MD—A total of 34 ecological restoration projects across Maryland will receive $35.8 million in grants from the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced. The grants, awarded for fiscal year 2025, are expected to remove 63,000 pounds of nitrogen, 10,000 pounds of phosphorus and nearly 14,000 tons of sediment from local […]
BALTIMORE, MD—The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) released its annual report card this week with the overall Chesapeake Bay earning a grade of C+ (55%), the highest grade since 2002. The 2023/2024 Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card is the 17th annual ecosystem report card. Overall, the health of the Chesapeake Bay is improving slightly, with 11 […]