“Natural 1 is a force multiplier, patrolling huge sections of the Bay in 90 minutes. It would take several patrol boats hours to cover the same area,” says NRP spokeswoman Candy Thomson. Natural 1 helps NRP officers, who patrol 17,000 miles of waterways and nearly a half-million acres of public lands, carry out oyster, fish, and deer enforcement patrols, searches for missing people, and other conservation, prevention, and deterrence missions.
DNR’s aviation force dates back more than 70 years. In 2009 Natural 1 was eliminated due to budget cuts during Governor O’Malley’s administration. In 2015, when the helicopter became available again, Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton received the support of Governor Hogan in reacquiring it. Natural 1 was reacquired at no cost from a military surplus program. Following a year of refurbishing, the chopper returned to NRP service in fall 2016 and has since logged 195 missions.
But funding challenges continue. “During its 2017 session, the Maryland General Assembly cut money in the current budget for the helicopter, but stopped short of prohibiting NRP from paying for its pilot, upkeep, and housing out of its budget,” says Thomson. “Colonel Ziegler is working to keep Natural 1 in the air this fiscal year by pulling money from other NRP programs. We hope to convince lawmakers next session that Natural 1 is a vital part of our enforcement effort and that they should approve operational money.”
During Natural 1’s seven-year absence from the NRP force, Maryland State Police (MSP) flew some NRP support missions, but the size of the chopper and cost of flying were not justifiable, says Thomson, who adds that MSP’s primary mission is medevac, and therefore choppers weren’t always available when NRP needed them. It costs $350 per hour to fly Natural 1, versus $5500 per hour for a Maryland state police helicopter, she says.
Thursday, October 12, 2017 - 12:13
Did you know the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has a helicopter? It’s a 1972 Bell Jet Ranger called Natural 1, and it is considered by Natural Resources Police (NRP) Superintendent Robert Ziegler to be an important part of his force.
“Natural 1 is a force multiplier, patrolling huge sections of the Bay in 90 minutes. It would take several patrol boats hours to cover the same area,” says NRP spokeswoman Candy Thomson. Natural 1 helps NRP officers, who patrol 17,000 miles of waterways and nearly a half-million acres of public lands, carry out oyster, fish, and deer enforcement patrols, searches for missing people, and other conservation, prevention, and deterrence missions.
DNR’s aviation force dates back more than 70 years. In 2009 Natural 1 was eliminated due to budget cuts during Governor O’Malley’s administration. In 2015, when the helicopter became available again, Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton received the support of Governor Hogan in reacquiring it. Natural 1 was reacquired at no cost from a military surplus program. Following a year of refurbishing, the chopper returned to NRP service in fall 2016 and has since logged 195 missions.
But funding challenges continue. “During its 2017 session, the Maryland General Assembly cut money in the current budget for the helicopter, but stopped short of prohibiting NRP from paying for its pilot, upkeep, and housing out of its budget,” says Thomson. “Colonel Ziegler is working to keep Natural 1 in the air this fiscal year by pulling money from other NRP programs. We hope to convince lawmakers next session that Natural 1 is a vital part of our enforcement effort and that they should approve operational money.”
During Natural 1’s seven-year absence from the NRP force, Maryland State Police (MSP) flew some NRP support missions, but the size of the chopper and cost of flying were not justifiable, says Thomson, who adds that MSP’s primary mission is medevac, and therefore choppers weren’t always available when NRP needed them. It costs $350 per hour to fly Natural 1, versus $5500 per hour for a Maryland state police helicopter, she says.
“Natural 1 is a force multiplier, patrolling huge sections of the Bay in 90 minutes. It would take several patrol boats hours to cover the same area,” says NRP spokeswoman Candy Thomson. Natural 1 helps NRP officers, who patrol 17,000 miles of waterways and nearly a half-million acres of public lands, carry out oyster, fish, and deer enforcement patrols, searches for missing people, and other conservation, prevention, and deterrence missions.
DNR’s aviation force dates back more than 70 years. In 2009 Natural 1 was eliminated due to budget cuts during Governor O’Malley’s administration. In 2015, when the helicopter became available again, Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton received the support of Governor Hogan in reacquiring it. Natural 1 was reacquired at no cost from a military surplus program. Following a year of refurbishing, the chopper returned to NRP service in fall 2016 and has since logged 195 missions.
But funding challenges continue. “During its 2017 session, the Maryland General Assembly cut money in the current budget for the helicopter, but stopped short of prohibiting NRP from paying for its pilot, upkeep, and housing out of its budget,” says Thomson. “Colonel Ziegler is working to keep Natural 1 in the air this fiscal year by pulling money from other NRP programs. We hope to convince lawmakers next session that Natural 1 is a vital part of our enforcement effort and that they should approve operational money.”
During Natural 1’s seven-year absence from the NRP force, Maryland State Police (MSP) flew some NRP support missions, but the size of the chopper and cost of flying were not justifiable, says Thomson, who adds that MSP’s primary mission is medevac, and therefore choppers weren’t always available when NRP needed them. It costs $350 per hour to fly Natural 1, versus $5500 per hour for a Maryland state police helicopter, she says.