The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conserves wildlife, fish, habitats, and other valuable elements of our environment through a range of activities, including Environmental Review. Staff of various units within DNR review and provide comments on plans, proposals, and permits for numerous types of land-use changes and development projects. The Department’s Environmental Review Program coordinates many of these review requests, primarily from other government agencies involved with issuing permits and when multiple DNR units are involved due to the type and scope of the proposed activity. 

Many native plants and animals are listed as endangered, threatened or in need of conservation in Maryland. State law requires that all State agencies conserve and protect these species. The Environmental Review system is the primary method used to ensure that actions authorized, funded, or carried out by other State agencies do not jeopardize the continued existence of listed species. Through this system, the Wildlife and Heritage Service reviews hundreds of projects each year to identify potential impacts to known locations of rare, threatened, and endangered (RTE) species and their habitats. When potential impacts are identified, Regional Ecologists work with the applicant to avoid or minimize disturbance.

Other organizations, such as county planning and zoning agencies and private consulting firms, also frequently request a review of projects for potential impacts to rare species. Some counties require a comment letter related to RTE species as part of a project’s Natural Resources Inventory/Forest Stand Delineation (NRI/FSD) before issuing their permits. Discovering the possibility for potential impacts early in the planning process is extremely important. It is usually much easier and less expensive to make any necessary changes to avoid negative impacts early in the planning process than after project development is under way.

If you are interested in submitting an Environmental Review request for comments related to rare, threatened and endangered species, please send an email describing the entire project and the full nature of your request along with the following location information:

1. the street address of the project location, or latitude / longitude coordinates;
2. a vicinity map showing the general location of the project;
3. a detailed map with the exact project location and site boundaries clearly delineated. Examples of map sources include Merlin Online, USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle, MapQuest, Google Maps, and Google Earth.

Send your request to:

​Lori Byrne at lori.byrne@maryland.gov

This information can also be mailed to:

Lori Byrne
Wildlife & Heritage Service
Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Ave.
Tawes Office Bldg E-1
Annapolis MD 21401

Phone: 410-260-8573
Toll-Free in Maryland: 1-877-620-8DNR, Ext. 8573

If you are interested in submitting an Environmental Review request for comments related to fisheries, DNR lands, and/or additional natural resources other than just rare, threatened and endangered species, please send an email describing the entire project and the full nature of your request along with the following location information:

1. the street address of the project location, or latitude/longitude coordinates;
2. a vicinity map showing the general location of the project;
3. a detailed map with the exact project location and site boundaries clearly delineated. Examples of map sources include MERLIN Online​, USGS 7.5 minute topographic quadrangle, MapQuest, Google Maps, and Google Earth.

Send your request to:

environmentalreview.dnr@maryland.gov

This information can also be mailed to:

Environmental Review Program
Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Ave., B-3
Annapolis MD 21401

Phone: 410-260-8336
Toll-Free in Maryland: 1-877-620-8DNR, Ext. 8336

Please Note: These reviews are provided free of charge and can take an average of 30 days to complete, depending on the overall scope of potential impacts of the proposed activity.