Edward W. Aiton, Director, Agricultural Extension Service;
H. C. Buckingham, Acting Director, Department of Forests
and Parks; Ernest A. Vaughn, Director, Department of Game
and Inland Fish; Edward R. Keil, State Conservationist, U. S.
Soil Conservation Service.

Appointed members: T. Walter Denny, 1964; Charles H. Rems-
berg, 1964.
Fred L. Bull, Secretary

College Park (Prince George's County) Telephone: Warfield 7-3800

The State Soil Conservation Committee, established by Chapter 436,
Acts of 1937, and as amended from time to time since that date,
consists of the Chairman of the State Board of Agriculture or other
member of the Board he may designate, the Director of the Agricul-
tural Experiment Station, the Director of the Agriculture Extension
Service, the Dean of the College of Agriculture, the Director of the
Department of Game and Inland Fish, the Director of the Department
of Forests and Parks, the State Conservationist of the U. S. Soil Con-
servation Service, and two Soil Conservation District Supervisors
appointed by the State Board of Agriculture for a one-year term.
The committee selects its officers, and its duties include (1) render-
ing assistance to the supervisors of the several soil conservation dis-
tricts, (2) providing information about the experiences and activities
of the several districts, (3) coordinating the programs of the districts,
(4) securing cooperation of the various Federal and State agencies in
the work of the districts, (5) disseminating information about soil
conservation throughout the State, and (6) organizing new soil con-
servation districts where advisable. It has organized soil conservation
districts in all counties of the State (Code 1957, 1963 Supp., Art. 66C,
sec. 91).

Appropriations 1963 1964

General Funds $113,887 $120,845
Staff: 4.

Public Improvements

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS

Albert P. Backhaus, Director, 1967
Garrett O. Billmire, Assistant Director
Laurence P. Sangston, Principal Architect
Frank L. Byron, Principal Engineer
Edwin J. Trexler, Assistant to the Director
Elizabeth W. Letmate, Executive Secretary

301 W. Preston Street, Baltimore 1 Telephone: 837-9000

The Department of Public Improvements was created by Chapter
171, Acts of 1947. The Director of Public Improvements, the desig-
nated head of the Department, is appointed by the Governor for a
four-year term.

The duties of the Department of Public Improvements consist, in
part, of the following: to assist and advise the Board of Public Works
and other State agencies on all matters of engineering surveys, plans,
specifications, and contracts for public improvements that may come
before the Board or in which a State agency may be interested; to
select and appoint architects and engineers, subject to approval of the
Board of Public Works, to prepare plans and specifications for all