Natural Resources Division

Mission: Our mission is to manage, protect and enhance the natural resources on all county owned parkland by using an adaptive management approach. And, to manage these areas in a way that both conserves their ecological integrity and makes them available for recreation and educational use.

The Natural Resources Division is divided into four units, Natural Resource Management, Natural Resource Operations, Middle Patuxent Environmental Area (MPEA) and Deer Management.

Our staff continually researches the latest scientific journals for the latest BMPs and trends in wildlife and habitat management. Decisions are based on sound, scientific evidence coupled with the needs of the community. See below for an extensive list of links for further reading and research on a host of issues of interest to many Howard County residents.

Links to Natural Resource Websites

Amphibians and Reptiles
Amphibiaweb	National Biological Information Infrastructure	USGS Amphibian Site
Birds
Howard County Bird Club	American Bird Conservancy	Audubon Society
Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay Program	Chesapeake Bay Foundation	EPA, Chesapeake Bay Program
Invasive Species
Maryland DNR	Maryland Invasive Species Council, Invasive Species of the Month	U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Nature Centers
Brookside Nature Center	Huntley Meadows	Irvine Nature Center
Other Parks, Wildlife Refuges, etc.
Maryland DNR	National Fish & Wildlife Service	National Park Service
Rivers and Streams
EPA-Rivers	EPA-Stream Assessment	Maryland DNR, Streams
Wetlands
EPA-Wetlands	Maryland Dept. of Environment	National Wildlife Federation
Wildlife and Habitat
Bat Conservation International	Beavers, Wetlands & Wildlife	Animal Advocates
Maryland DNR Urban Forestry	Patuxent Wildlife Research Center	Wildlife Forever