"The Game and Inland Fish Commission is hereby created with the per-
sonnel, powers and duties of the present Maryland State Game and Inland
Fish Commission."

This Department of the State acts as an agency for the enforcement of
game and fresh water fish laws, and the propagation of game and fresh water
fish in captivity, and is supported entirely through receipts from the sale
of hunters' and anglers' licenses, which receipts are credited to the State
Game Protection Fund.

The original State Game Department was consolidated with the Con-
servation Commission by Chapter 683, Acts of 1916, when said Com-
mission was created. Prior to 1916 the General Assembly appropriated
$2,600.00 every two years for the support and maintenance of the State
Game Department.

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. Through the hunters' license system, the
Department has a salaried staff of law enforcement officers, consisting of a
State Game Warden, a Chief Deputy Game Warden, 2 Wildlife Technicians
(Biologist-Technician), 6 Regional Deputy Game Wardens, 30 District
Deputy Game Wardens and 4 Game Breeders.

As of September 30, 1942, the Department owned fourteen Game Farms
and Refuges containing a total of 7,772 1/2 acres. It had under lease 67
Game Refuges containing 21,446 acres, and on property owned by the State
Forestry Department it had 2,882 acres used as game refuges.

It has recently, through the cooperation of the Department of State
Forests and Parks, added 2 refuges on State Forest lands in Worcester
County, the Chandler Game Refuge, comprising 100 acres, and the Carr
Game Refuge, comprising 113 acres, located near Snow Hill.

The angler's 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 Vir-
ginia 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 Montgomery
County Game Refuge where bob-white and pheasants are raised, and at the
Washington County Game Refuge where wild turkeys are raised.
During the fiscal year of 1940 the Department purchased the Indian Spring
Wildlife Demonstration Area located near Indian Spring, Washington
County, Maryland, comprising 1265 acres and in cooperation with the Soil
Conservation Service is establishing on said area a wildlife 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 visit same.

In addition to the Indian Spring Wildlife Demonstration Area, the
Department recently acquired two other properties on which wildlife
demonstration areas have been established. The Idylwild Wildlife Dem-
onstration Area, Federalsburg, Caroline County, containing 520 3/10ths
acres, and the Millington Wildlife Demonstration Area, Millington, Kent
County, containing approximately 561 1/2 acres.

The Commission in January, 1940, appointed an advisory Council in
in each county of this State. These Councils are composed of twelve mem-
bers, 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 Conservation of soil, forests and