Browns Branch Wildlife Management Area

Brown’s Branch Wildlife Management Area

Sudlersville Rd, Church Hill, MD, 21623
GPS Coordinates: 39.168906, -75.926347
DNR Wildlife & Heritage Service Office: (410) 928-3650

Browns Branch Wildlife Management Area (WMA) may look like an ordinary set of crop fields and woods primarily used for hunting, but it contains ecological treasures not apparent at first glance. And it will keep getting better, as the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has big plans to preserve and improve the habitats. In particular, the land is being restored to serve as future habitat for Northern Bobwhite and other grassland birds, and to preserve high quality waterways and wetlands that contain several mollusk and fish species that are in need of conservation in Maryland.

The WMA consists of 1,172 acres, formerly known as the Ben Lee Farm. It was slated for residential development, but with the assistance of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, DNR acquired it in 2019 using Program Open Space funds. The acquisition protects the headwaters and an initial stretch of Browns Branch, a freshwater stream that flows into Southeast Creek, a tributary of the Chester River. Browns Branch has been found to have high quality, clean water and harbors seldom-found freshwater mussels and fish species. Browns Branch WMA has about 680 acres of agricultural fields in active cultivation through leases to a farmer, and about 490 acres of deciduous forest. The farm leases will eventually phase out and the entire WMA will be managed by DNR for wildlife.

In addition to the Browns Branch stream, there are a few other small freshwater streams, several manmade freshwater ponds, and vernal pools in the woodlands. The vernal pools support several species of salamanders, frogs, and toads. The Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas documented 25 reptile and amphibian species in the atlas blocks containing Browns Branch, including two species of Greatest Conservation Need – Eastern Box Turtle and Eastern Ribbonsnake. In addition, the streams and wetlands are thought to have populations of several rare dragonflies and damselflies.

DNR biologists have found that Browns Branch WMA contains at least eight of the 35 Key Wildlife Habitats found in Maryland: Coastal Plain Floodplain; Coastal Plain Seepage Swamp; Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forest; Basic Mesic Forest; Coastal Plain Flatwoods and Depression Swamp; Vernal Pools; Artificial (Man-made) Impoundments and Artificial Wetlands; and Managed Grassland. Each of these Key Wildlife Habitats has its own distinct community of plants and wildlife.

DNR has developed a 15-Year Vision Plan for Browns Branch WMA that shows how the state will manage the property to enhance and support these Key Wildlife Habitats. The plan focuses on three main types of habitats: Managed Grasslands, Coastal Plain Forest, and Managed and Restored Wetlands, with strategies and goals tailored to each.

• The Managed Grasslands will consist of native warm-season grasses, native wildflowers, and legumes, along with scattered native shrubs, and will be managed to support the return of bobwhite quail and other birds that use early successional habitat, such as Grasshopper and Field Sparrows (already present) as well as insect pollinators.
• The existing Coastal Plain Forests and newly planted forest buffers will be managed to protect Brown Branch and other streams, and will provide habitat for Forest Interior-Dwelling Bird Species (FIDS) such as Scarlet Tanagers, Wood Thrushes, and various flycatchers, vireos, and warblers. Forests large enough to support FIDS are rare in Queen Anne’s County, which is one of the reasons that this property is being preserved.
• The Managed and Restored Wetlands will be restored to return natural hydrology to the property, which has long been drained for farming. These wetlands should attract waterfowl, waders, and shorebirds, as well as reptiles and amphibians and insects such as dragonflies and damselflies.

The Habitat Management Units Map (included in the map packet in the At a Glance section of this webpage) shows the planned extent of these managed grasslands, forests, and wetlands.

Although the primary use of the WMA is hunting, birders and other non-hunting users are welcome (take precautions during hunting season, such as visiting only on Sundays). There are three parking areas on the periphery of the WMA; from there, dirt and gravel lanes provide walking access into the heart of the WMA. The land is flat and level, providing easy walking, with only a few puddles or ruts as obstacles. There are no maintained trails in the woods, so if you wish to explore there, it is necessary to bushwhack. Avoid disturbing the streams.

In the north end of the WMA, the dirt road that runs due south from Parking Area #1, on Sudlersville Road just south of Emily’s Lane, provides access to a series of crop fields that are used for goose hunting in the fall. The dirt road enters a strip of woods and crosses Browns Branch (no bridge), to emerge in another field, and runs along a small pond at the northeast corner of that field.

In the south end of the WMA, Parking Areas #2 and #3 are connected by a gravel and dirt road known as Ben Lee Farm Lane, which was the main access to the former farm. The lane is gated closed, so it can be walked or biked, but not driven in a car. It’s about 1.14 miles from one parking lot to the other. Along the way, the lane passes through farm fields that are being converted to native warm season grasses and blooming native plants, thanks in part to funding and seed mixes donated by Quail Forever, a non-profit that promotes restoration of Northern Bobwhite habitat. About 300 acres were planted with native seeds in 2025, with another 200 acres to be seeded in 2026.

Birdlife:

• Fishing is allowed with a valid freshwater fishing license.
• Biking is permitted on the dirt and gravel roads and established trails. No off-trail biking.
• Reptiles, amphibians, native fish and mollusks, dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies, moths, and native plants make this WMA a naturalist’s delight. No collecting – photography only.

Parking:

• Parking Area #1: south side of Sudlersville Road (MD Route 300), just south of the intersection with Emily’s Lane: GPS 39.168906, -75.926347 | Google Map
• Parking Area #2: on Ben Lee Farm Lane, accessed from the south side of Sudlersville Road/MD Route 300; nearest house is on the opposite side of the road and north of Ben Lee Farm Lane at 603 Sudlersville Rd, Sudlersville, MD 21668. Turn into Ben Lee Farm Lane (gravel road) and drive about one-quarter mile through a wooded area to the parking area where the road emerges into a field blocked by a yellow metal gate. The gravel lane may be rough and rutted or wet in spots. GPS 39.155734, -75.945884 | Google Map
• Parking Area #3: on the north side of Hall Road between Sudlersville Road and US Route 301, about 0.8 miles west of Route 301, at the edge of a field.  The parking area is at the south end of Bel Lee Farm Lane, which goes southeast from Parking Area #2 then makes a hard right turn to head southwest toward Parking Area #3. One may walk or bike on Ben Lee Farm Lane through the WMA but is gated closed at both ends so that one has to drive from one parking spot to the other on public roads. The distance between Parking Areas #2 and #3 is 1.14 miles, one-way.  GPS: 39.144556, -75.939832 | Google Map 

Nearby Sites:

Queen Anne’s County: Blue Heron Nature Preserve ■ Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center – Horsehead ■ Conquest Preserve ■ Ferry Point Park ■  Matapeake Clubhouse & Beach / Matapeake Fishing Pier & Boat Ramp ■ Terrapin Nature Park ■ Tuckahoe State Park (Queen Anne’s County) ■  White Marsh Park at Bloomfield Farm ■  Wye Island Natural Resources Management Area

Habitats:

Bottomland Deciduous ForestsHedgerowsUpland Deciduous Forests Agricultural Crop Fields or Fallow FieldsHay Meadows, Pasture, Grass FieldOld Fields, Shrubby Meadows Forested SwampFreshwater Marsh or FloodplainFreshwater Pond, Lake, or ReservoirRivers & Streams

Features and Amenities:

Type: