What We Do

The Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) is a law enforcement agency with state wide jurisdiction to enforcement all state laws and regulations. The NRP have three main functions:

1. Enforcing the laws and regulations that protect Maryland Natural Resources. These laws regulate harvesting, possessing or pursuing Maryland’s fish and wildlife resources.
2. Enforcing state laws and regulations on 500,000 acres of land owned or controlled by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. These lands are visited and utilized by 12 million visitors a year.
3. Ensuring Maryland’s recreational boating enforcement and maritime homeland security. NRP enforces all the boating and navigational laws, as well as conducting search and rescue on all of Maryland’s waterways. This responsibility includes investigating approximately 300 boating accident per year, assisting in 300 to 400 boating emergencies such as vessels in distress and search and rescue incidents. The NRP responds to approximately 2,400 maritime incidents a year on Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, tidal rivers, inland waters and coastal waterways off the Atlantic Ocean.

The NRP conducts daily maritime patrols of Maryland’s critical infrastructure that adjoins Maryland’s waterways. The NRP has been designated as the lead state law enforcement agency for maritime security throughout the state.