On Tuesday, August 5, 2025, Maryland will host an open house in Annapolis to provide information for the public about the recently released draft revisions to the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. The Agreement is the voluntary plan – signed by Maryland, New York, Delaware, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., the Chesapeake Bay Commission, and the...
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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources will provide $20 million in Waterway Improvement Fund allocations to communities and projects throughout Maryland in Fiscal Year 2026, which begins July 1. 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 other important...
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July 27, 2025 (JESSUP, MD) – Maryland State Police are investigating the death of an inmate from the Maryland Correctional Institution in Jessup. The inmate is identified as Brian Bell, 42. Bell was declared deceased by hospital personnel yesterday after being transported to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. A suspect, also an...
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Photographers and nature enthusiasts have until August 1st, 2025, to submit their most beautiful images of the state’s flora and fauna to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources 2025 Photo Contest. As in past years, winning entries will be featured on the next Maryland DNR nature calendar to be published in late fall, and...
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“President Trump directed the Department of Justice to address the ongoing infringements of the Second Amendment rights of our citizens—all of them. Federal law disables the firearms rights of many citizens who have been convicted of crimes without regard to whether they actually pose a threat of violence. But federal law also empowers the...
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Data collected by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Old Dominion University show an increasing volume of hypoxia—waters with less than 2 mg/l of oxygen—in the Chesapeake Bay mainstem of Maryland and Virginia from early to late June. No hypoxia was observed in May, marking a later start to low dissolved oxygen conditions...
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The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration is committed to improve safety for vulnerable road users – defined as those walking, cycling or rolling – and is conducting an online survey and virtual meeting series to gather public feedback to help update the agency’s Vulnerable Road User (VRU) Assessment. Vulnerable road users are...
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The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission (the Commission) today approved the recommendation of an award for a new Lottery Central Monitoring and Control System (LCMCS) contract to Intralot, Inc., of Duluth, Ga. The vendor that is awarded the contract manufactures the counter terminals and self-service vending machines that sell tickets at 4,300 Maryland...
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The Department of Natural Resources reminds Maryland recreational anglers that targeting striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries is prohibited from July 16 through July 31. This closure, now in its sixth season, is necessary to protect the species, because when water and air temperatures rise in the hottest part of...
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Attorney General Anthony G. Brown joined a coalition of 25 states in suing the Trump administration over its unconstitutional, unlawful, and arbitrary decision to freeze funding for six longstanding programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education just weeks before the school year is set to start. Without this funding, many educational programs will...
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The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) charged nine impaired boaters and investigated nine reportable boating accidents during its annual Operation Dry Water “saturation patrol” campaign, conducted from July 4 to July 6. Statistically this time is the busiest and most dangerous boating holiday. Fortunately, no boating fatalities were recorded on Independence Day weekend. NRP officers made nine...
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Governor Wes Moore announced the appointment of Ed Rothstein as Secretary of the Maryland Department of Veterans and Military Families. Rothstein will assume the post as secretary on August 1st. Ross Cohen, who has served as the interim acting secretary, will continue supporting the department as deputy secretary. “Ed Rothstein has dedicated his career...
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Maryland State Troopers from all 23 State Police Barracks, including members of the SPIDRE Team, took on distracted, aggressive, and impaired driving this Fourth of July weekend. Troopers recorded 108 arrests for suspected DUI and issued more than 6,600 citations and warnings from July 4 to July 6th, 2025. Additionally, the SPIDRE Team assisted...
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Bell Sports Bicycle Helmets Hazard: The recalled helmets do not comply with the impact requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) mandatory federal safety standard for bicycle helmets. The helmets can fail to protect the user in the event of a crash, posing a risk of head injury. Remedy: Refund Recall Date: June...
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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) selected Josh Montgomery as the winner of the Inaugural DNR Waterfowl Photo Contest, with his image of his retriever carrying a canvasback duck. This image will be available on a new hard-card license offered through the MD Outdoors licensing and registration system, and on the DNR 2026 Maryland Natural Resource Calendar. ...
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Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) joined Congresswoman Sarah Elfreth (D-MD-03), Vice Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Committee and Co-Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, to introduce the bipartisan Mitigation Action and Watermen Support (MAWS) Act alongside Representatives Rob Wittman (R-VA-01) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02). The bill takes aim at one of the greatest...
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As summer has begun, Maryland Department of Natural Resources scientists caution the public to be vigilant about freshwater algae mats that can sometimes be a health hazard for dogs and other animals. Benthic algae mats are accumulations of algae that can vary in structure and appearance, but are often dense, green, and fibrous. Benthic...
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The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is again offering an online process for Maryland hunters to apply for a 2025-2026 waterfowl blind site license. From July 16 through July 29, 2025, hunters and riparian landowners may enter the annual lottery for the opening days of blind site licensing. Hunters and riparian landowners with a DNR ID...
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For 18 years, Glenn Therres watched the recovery of Maryland’s bald eagles from the window of a four-seater plane. The long-time bald eagle biologist for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Therres had counted nests for the department’s annual bald eagle survey since 1985, when there were only 62 breeding pairs in the state....
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This Independence Day weekend, the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) will ramp up patrols and enforcement efforts throughout the busiest boating holiday of the year. NRP will conduct its 17th annual Operation Dry Water, focusing on heightened outreach, education, and enforcement, particularly on the importance of sober boating. Maryland waterway users should expect increased patrols...
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Maryland State Police and the Maryland Vehicle Theft Prevention Council are reminding motorists to take proactive steps to protect their vehicles during National Vehicle Theft Prevention Month in July. Vehicle theft surges during summer, making it a risky time for drivers to let their guard down. In Maryland, a vehicle is stolen every 22...
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Maryland State Police beginning Friday will increase enforcement efforts to combat impaired, aggressive, and distracted driving throughout the July 4th holiday weekend. Maryland State Troopers from all 23 barracks across the state will conduct high-visibility patrols from Friday July 4 to Sunday, July 6. The State Police Impaired Driving Reduction Effort (SPIDRE) team – a...
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As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, the Office of the State Fire Marshal joined the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services and public safety partners to promote fireworks safety and encourage Marylanders to attend licensed, professional fireworks shows across the state. This year, 139 public fireworks displays are scheduled across Maryland...
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Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced that Funso Posi Timothy, 60, of Lanham, Prince George’s County, Maryland, pleaded guilty to and was convicted of two counts of filing false tax returns. The Honorable Richard R. Trunnell of the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County sentenced Timothy to three years of incarceration, all suspended in...
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UMCES’s flagship Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card, developed in collaboration with local stakeholders, is a proven tool for measuring the latest available data and communicating social, environmental, and economic health to inspire action. The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) released its 19th annual Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Report Card, the...
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