Appointed by Governor:.

G. Ellsworth Leary, 1948; George S. Miles, 1949; M. E.
Towner, 1950; Norman E. Carr, 1951; Nelson R. Coul-
bourn, 1952; Isaiah Howman, 1953.
William H. Bayliff, Executive Secretary.

State Office Building, Annapolis Telephone: Annapolis 3405.

While Maryland has long been interested in the conservation of her
natural resources, having created a Fisheries Commission so long ago
as 1876, there had been little attempt to coordinate the various con-
servation problems until 1941. The creation of the Board of Natural
Resources in that year brought together nine independent agencies
into five associated departments. These departments are: the Depart-
ment of Tidewater Fisheries, the Department of Game and Inland
Fish, the Department of State Forests and Parks, the Department of
Geology, Mines, and Water Resources, and the Department of Re-
search and Education (Code 1947 Supp. Art. 19A, secs. 1-4). The
original Act provided that the Board of Natural Resources be com-
posed of the Chairman of the Commission of Tidewater Fisheries,
who is also by law designated as Chairman of the Board, the admin-
istrative heads of the other four departments, as well as six mem-
bers appointed by the Governor as follows: two from the Eastern
Shore, two from the Western Shore, and two from the State-at-large.
A subsequent Act authorized the Governor to appoint two additional
members from the State-at-large (Ch. 498, Acts 1947). The terms of
the appointive members are for a period of five years and are stag-
gered. The Board thus contains a nucleus of permanent professional
members and a group of laymen chosen for their interest in conserva-
tion problems. The Board is directed to integrate and to correlate the
activities of the five departments and to report annually on their
activities and accomplishments. The Board also has final approval
powers over all regulations promulgated by the Commission of Tide-
water Fisheries in regard to the crab fisheries (Code 1947 Supp. Art.
39, sec. HOB)..

Publications: Annual Reports of the Board of Natural Re-
sources, 1946.
Six Year Conservation. Program, Annapolis, 1946..

1948 1949
Appropriations $8,412 $8,489
Staff: 2..

DEPARTMENT OF TIDEWATER FISHERIES.

The Commission:.

Chairman: John E. Clark, 19.53
Allan A. Sellers, 1951; George T. Harrison, 1949,
David H. Wallace, Director
John C. Widener, Engineer
J. R. E. Turpin, Seafood Auditor
Ralph C. Hammer, Shellfish Culturist
William W. Watson, Personnel and Public Relations
A. S. Creighton, Commander Patrol Fleet
State Office Building, Annapolis Telephone: Annapolis 2351.

The appointment of an Oyster Commission in 1884 and its subse-
quent report was the beginning of the State's concern with tidewater.