Natural Resources Stewardship
The Natural Resources Stewardship Section (NRS) of the Park Planning and Stewardship Division has a primary responsibility for protecting the natural environment within the park system.
It is our goal to inventory, protect, manage and enhance natural resources on Montgomery County Parklands to provide a healthy and diverse environment for the enjoyment of park patrons and future generations.
NRS provides consultations to Region, Engineering, Design and Planning staffs, and to citizens and other agencies and departments regarding natural resource management and environmental issues. Our work includes:
Vegetation Management
- Inventories, Reforestation, Rare Plant Protection, Habitat Restoration and Non-native Invasive Plant Management including the volunteer Certified and Special Project Weed Warriors programs.
- Coordination of park-wide National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
- Review of all Park Trail and Development Review Plans for natural resource impacts
- Development of Natural Resources Management Plans
Wildlife Management
- Wildlife Inventories, Protection & Habitat Management
- Deer Management Program
- Wildlife Conflict Resolution
Wild Montgomery
- Enjoy and explore Montgomery County’s beautiful wild places! Check out our list of "Green Getaways" for some of the best natural sites in the county. We hope you will use the Wild Montgomery web site as your resource to learn more about the beautiful, natural areas Montgomery County has to offer.
News & Events
Lyme Disease Awareness
Preventing Lyme Disease in Montgomery County
Spring and summer brings warm temperatures, just right for walking in the woods and other outdoor activities. Warm weather also means that ticks become active and this can lead to the transmission of Lyme disease.
Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett has joined Montgomery County health and parks officials, along with community residents, to launch a multi-pronged public education campaign about Lyme disease. The number of cases of Lyme disease has increased in Montgomery County, in part due to better reporting, and there were more than 300 new cases of Lyme disease reported in 2007.
Wildlife Management
- FY09 Annual Deer Management Report and Recommendations ( .pdf, 975KB)
- Managed Deer Hunts in Montgomery County
Montgomery County Department of Parks, in order to reduce and maintain deer populations in accordance with the goals of the County’s deer management plan, conducts managed deer hunts in select parks during the Fall and Winter. Check the 2008 hunt dates schedule .
Vegetation Management
- Save our Forests
Help our Weed Warriors remove non-native invasive plants from the Parks. Invasive species present one of the greatest threats to the health and biodiverstiy of our parklands. With the help of your muscle power, and pruners, we will manually remove non-native vines and shrubs and save the mature trees and other native plants that the invasive plants are strangling and out competing. NOTE: No experience is necessary; we will train you on-site.
