Legislation enacted in 1874 brought all forces
afloat under the Commission of Fisheries and
named the new unit the State Fishery Force, In
1922 the Force became a part of the former Con-
servation Department and was known as the
Maryland Patrol and Inspection Fleet. In 1941
the Patrol Fleet was incorporated into the De-
partment of Tidewater Fisheries and its name was
changed to the Division of Inspection and Patrol.
In 1960 the Force became a part oi the Division
of Law Enforcement of the Department of Tide-
water Fisheries, and was renamed the Marine Po-
lice Division in 1962.

The Natural Resources Police Force enforces
State laws and regulations pertaining to commer-
cial and sport fishing, boating, waterways pollu-
tion, and wildlife conservation. It also conducts
boating and hunting safety educational programs.

The Force operates the Natural Resources Po-
lice A.uadeiiiy al Malapeake, a central mainto-
nance and supply facility, and an aviation unit to
provide airborne surveillance and rescue services
to the enforcement programs and other agencies
of the Department of Natural Resources.

The Marine Division includes Headquarters,
Communications, and Field Force Sections.
Among its other duties, it recovers stolen or lost
boats and stolen outboard motors, renders other
water-oriented assistance to the boating public,
including delivery of emergency messages, regatta
patrols, towing disabled vessels into ports, remov-
al of persons from water, first aid administration,
ice breaking, searching for missing boats, fire
fighting on boats, engine repairs, and refloating of
boats from grounding on shoals.

The Inland Division of the Natural Resources
Police Force is charged with the responsibility of
enforcing all laws and regulations relative to the
protection and preservation of wildlife and with
the welfare and safety of the citizenry. It
apprehends persons for violations of the fish,
game, boating, and litter laws and regulations.

Inland Officers assist Wildlife Law Enforce-
ment officials in contiguous states in the appre-
hension of game and fish violators, assist State
and local police in the apprehension of felons,
and search for persons reported as lost or miss-
ing. They also search for and recover drowning
victims, relay emergency information to hunters
and fishermen, render assistance to boaters, and
recover drifting unmanned boats.

Thousands of people receive firearms training
and hunter safety instruction during each year.

Units manned by this Division include patrol
boats, runabouts, vehicles, and one twin-engine
amphibian aircraft.

The Force inspects boats for conservation and
boating violations. It also inspects seafood pro-
cessing houses and trucks carrying seafood cargo.
It makes arrests and issues warnings for
violations of boating and conservation laws and
provides transportation in conjunction with the
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to
collect water and shellfish samples for the Sea-
food Program. The Force also investigates and
records boating accidents and reports them to the
U.S. Coast Guard.

FOREST SERVICE AND PARK
SERVICE

Donald E. MacLauchlan, Director

Tawcs State Office Building
Annapolis 21401 Telephone: 269-3776

The Forest Service and the Park Service are ad-
ministered under one director and work together
closely to serve the forest management and recre-
ational needs of the people of Maryland. The
staff functions are combined yet the integrity of
the two units is maintained.

The Forest Service, created by Chapter 348,
Acts of 1972, succeeded the Department of Forests
and Parks established by Chapter 508, Acts of
1941. The latter department superseded the Board
of Forestry created by Chapter 294, Acts of 1906.

The basic mission of the Forest Service is to ef-
fectively manage the State's forests and trees
while promoting their values for the benefit of
people. The goal of the Service is to maintain and
improve the economic, aesthetic, recreational, en-
vironmental, and social contribution of trees,
forests, and forest-related resources to all citizens.

The Forest Service goal is achieved through
three major activities—programs of Cooperative
Forest Management, Resource Utilization, and
the State Forest System.

Cooperative Forest Management (CFM) takes
forest management expertise to the private
landowners and the political subdivisions of the
State. Forest fire prevention and control, forest in-
sect and disease control, forest land management,
forest watershed management, reforestation, and
urban and community forestry represent the main
thrust at the program. While such programs as
fire prevention and control, reforestation, and the