St. Mary’s County Government (SMCG) is announcing changes to bow hunting access on county-leased acreage at the Elms Beach property.
Effective immediately, hunting is no longer permitted on the 85 acres of land leased by St. Mary’s County from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), located at 19350 Back Door Road in Lexington Park, MD. DNR has discontinued the pilot bow hunting program and withdrawn permission for hunting in this area.
Hunters and local organizations with permits for this area have been notified directly. “No Hunting” signs have been posted to ensure public awareness of updated restrictions.
While hunting is no longer allowed on the acres leased by the county, hunting remains available on the 545 acres of the Elms property managed directly by DNR. For information on public DNR hunting lands, visit https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Pages/publiclands/wmasouthern.aspx.
St. Mary’s County remains committed to the long-term use of the leased acreage for environmental education and expanding public access to waterfront recreation. Additional improvements at the Elms property are progressing through the approval process, and SMCG looks forward to continuing to enhance opportunities for outdoor education and recreation for the community. Residents are encouraged to learn more and view the Elms Beach Mater Plan online at https://www.stmaryscountymd.gov/docs/elmsbeachmasterplan.pdf.
A map of the area showing where hunting is now prohibited is included with this announcement for reference. For more information, please contact our Department of Recreation and Parks via email to [email protected] or by calling (301) 475-4200 ext. 1800.
