Every ten years, Maryland is required to update its State Wildlife Action Plan, or SWAP. A SWAP is meant to serve as a non-regulatory, guiding document for conservation efforts concerning a state's Species of Greatest Conservation Need---mammals, fish, birds, insects, and more---as well as the habitats in which they are found. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also requires all states to have an updated SWAP in order to access State Wildlife Grant funding, which funds a large portion of non-game species conservation work in Maryland. The last SWAP cycle was in 2015. As such, the updated SWAP is due to be submitted by May 1, 2026.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources sought public comment on the updated 2025-2035 SWAP. A draft of the plan is linked below. One file contains the chapters; the other contains the appendices. The public comment period closed on on Friday, April 10th, 2026, and it was submitted for approval.
