All those in favor, signify by saying
Aye; contrary, No. The Ayes have it. It is
so ordered. The Committee of the Whole
will please come to order.
(Whereupon, at 10:07 A.M., the Conven-
tion resolved itself into the Committee of
the Whole.)
(The mace was removed by the Sergeant-
at-Arms.)
COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
NOVEMBER 14, 1967—10:07 A.M.
PRESIDENT H. VERNON ENEY,
PRESIDING
THE CHAIRMAN: The first item on the
general orders is consideration of Com-
mittee Recommendation GP-3. That is ac-
companied by Committee Memorandum GP-
3. The Chair recognizes Delegate Boyer,
Chairman of the Committee for the pur-
pose of presenting Committee Recommenda-
tion GP-3. Come forward, please, Delegate
Boyer.
DELEGATE BOYER: Mr. Chairman,
ladies and gentlemen of this Convention,
your Committee on General Provisions pre-
sents to you for your consideration GP-3,
our recommendation on natural resources.
I would like to pay public thanks first to
the subcommittee that worked so very hard
on this sometimes emotional issue. The
subcommittee chaired by Delegate Ritter,
included Delegates Jett and Singer.
We feel that there should be some broad
policy statement in the constitution con-
cerning natural resources.
There were many interested citizens, in-
tensely interested in the application of
sound conservation principles, and it was
an undisputed fact that when the present
Constitution of Maryland was being formu-
lated, the State abounded in virgin timber
so much so that it was being burned away
and cleared off for farming spaces. In short,
resources in 1867 were in man's way. The
vast supply of oysters and other seafood
was just then becoming the basis of in-
dustry. Again, fish, wildlife, and open
spaces were thought to be unlimited in sup-
ply, and inexhaustible as far as man was
concerned.
Polluted air and water were not yet in
the offing, while wetlands were merely
nuisance value. |
It seemed to appear to the framers of our
present Constitution that there was no need
of worry about future supply of lumber,
firewood and denizens of the forests, fields,
and waters. At that time such were present
in superabundance, and available merely
for the taking. Sole maintenance and pro-
tection were not yet of concern in Mary-
land for several decades, and shore erosion
was not yet given the attention that it de-
served.
In 1912 the Maryland Extension Service
was organized, and from that day forward,
there appeared to be a giant step towards
conservation of our natural resources.
These challenged backward conditions in
the management of natural resources and
led to new and better things for the citizen
of the State.
With these changes have come more re-
cently new conditions not even considered
by the old constitutional delegates, and
concerns about conservation, a term that
not until this century found its way into
the legislative halls.
With that basis and background your
Committee felt that there was a need for
a broad statement of conservation policy,
and for that purpose we submit to you our
recommendation GP-3 on natural resources.
Thank you.
THE CHAIRMAN: Are there any ques-
tions for purposes of clarification? Delegate
Willoner.
DELEGATE WILLONER: Mr. Chair-
man, I wonder what is the legal effect of
this. Would this prohibit, for example, the
State from selling park land to private en-
terprise? What would be the effect if you
left this provision out?
DELEGATE BOYER: I can see no ill
effect from it. It certainly would not pre-
vent the State from selling park land if it
so desired for meritorious purposes.
DELEGATE WILLONER: What would
be the effect of its being in the Constitu-
tion?
DELEGATE BOYER: The effect would
be that natural resources and conservation
would be blessed by recognition.
THE CHAIRMAN: Delegate Willoner.
DELEGATE WILLONER: It is the con-
templation of the Committee then that this
particular addition would have no operable
effect. It is just a statement of general
policy? |
