The hunters' license system was created by Chapter 468, Acts of
1918, and requires those who enjoy the great outdoors to contribute
to a fund for the support of the Department. Until this law was en-
acted the Department was one in name only due to lack of finances.

Through the hunters' license system, the Department has a salaried
staff of law enforcement officers numbering 31 and through the cooper-
ation of an interested public has about 500 non-salaried Deputy Game
Wardens.

The anglers' license was created by Chapter 471, Acts of 1929 and
through this system the Fresh Water Fisheries Division has been
greatly benefited.

The Department has in operation two State-owned game farms;
namely, the Gwynnbrook State Game Farm in Baltimore County, and
the Wicomico State Game Farm in Wicomico County. At these plants
large numbers of bob-white, pheasants, chukor partridges, wild ducks,
wild geese and Virginia white tail deer are raised in captivity and
liberated annually in the covers of the State.

The Department also operates a propagation plant at the Mont-
gomery County Game Refuge where bob-white and pheasants are
raised, and at the Washington County Game Refuge where wild
turkeys are raised.

The Department owns 6,546 acres of land with necessary buildings
thereon purchased from hunters' license receipts and said areas are
used as State Game Refuge and propagation plants; and in addition
the Department has under lease 31,357 acres of land which are used
as inviolate game sanctuaries.

During the fiscal year of 1940 the Department (acting through the
Pittman-Robertson Act, which is a Federal Law, providing that the
tax on firearms of 10% shall be set aside in the Federal Treasury in
a dedicated fund for the purpose of cooperating with the States in
acquiring lands on which to establish wildlife demonstration areas
to conserve soil, water, forests and when preventives have been used
for preserving these natural resources the effects are beneficial to
wildlife. The Federal Government furnished 75%, the State 25% in
the purchase of these projects), purchased the Indian Spring Wild-
life Demonstration Area located near Indian Spring, Washington
County, Maryland, comprising 1265 acres and in cooperation with
the Soil Conservation Service are establishing on said area a wild-
life demonstration project. Two large signs have been erected on
Route 40 calling the public's attention to this area and extending to
them a welcome to investigate same.

The Commission in January 1940 appointed an advisory Council in
each county of this State. These councils are composed of twelve
members not less than five of whom must be landowners, or tenants
on farms, five from outdoor groups such as Farm Bureau, Farm
Grange, etc, and two at large. A bulletin was prepared on the Con-
servation of soil, forests and wildlife in the Farm Program and each
member of each council provided with same, giving information as
to how a program could be carried out with very little expense to the
landowners or tenants on farms in conserving the soil thereby pro-
hibiting erosion and also reforesting areas of submarginal land which
were unprofitable for cultivation and restore wildlife to said prop-
erties.