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104 MARYLAND MANUAL
and harbors, clearing debris, aquatic vegetation, or obstructions from navigable waters, the construction of facilities of benefit to the boat- ing public, and boating safety and education. Projects involving the construction of marine facilities where the expenditures are more than $25,000 are funded jointly with the local governing body. The other functions of the program are financed entirely by the Recrea- tion and Waterways Improvement Division. The Boating section has become the major force in the State's plans for the development of recreational boating on Maryland waterways. Educational programs and publications are extensive. The "Boating Handbook" is regarded as the best of its kind. Thousands of the "Basic Boating Course" book are distributed every year, and almost every boatman is familiar with the Department's "Guide for Cruising Maryland Waters." The Department cooperates with local, State, regional and Federal organi- zations and agencies to determine boating needs in Maryland and to recommend programs to promote and expand recreational boating. The Bay and its tidewaters are also an important sport fishing resource. The Department makes available to the public and the news media information regarding sport fishing, recreational facilities, and tide tables. Programs are developed to promote fishing in Bay waters. The Shore Erosion Control Program, established originally in 1964, provides advice, and financial and technical assistance to Maryland property owners (persons, municipalities, or counties) for the con- struction of shore erosion control structures. Legislation enacted by Chapter 245, Acts of 1970 created the Shore Erosion Control Construc- tion Loan Fund, which makes available interest-free loans on a sliding scale. From 1968 through 1971, 123 projects were approved by the Department. Design and construction have been effected on most of the structures, and requests for aid are received at a con- stantly increasing rate. The Department cooperates with State and Federal agencies in an intensive search for new and more effective shore erosion control measures. The Wetlands Act of 1970 (Chapter 241 of the Acts of 1970), establishes a State policy to "preserve the wetlands and to prevent the despoliation and destruction thereof." The responsibility of this program is to preserve the contribution of marshlands to the biologi- cal, aesthetic, and recreational resources of the Bay through the regu- lation and management of submerged and tidal areas. The same Act identifies wetlands as being of two types: State wetlands are those lands lying below mean high tide; private wetlands are those lands lying above mean high tide that are periodically flooded by tides and that support aquatic growth. The Wetlands Division administers the regulations pertaining to State marshlands, and has underway a pro- gram to establish rules and regulations governing the use of private wetlands. This involves an inventory and mapping of the more than 200,000 acres of tidal marsh, and the fixing of the boundary between State and private wetlands. The Wetlands Division works with local, State, regional, and Federal organizations to create a comprehensive approach to the use of these coastal zones (Code 1957, Art. 14B, sees. 1-13; 1970 Repl. Vol., 1970 Supp., Art. 66C, sees. 718-731, 756-758B).
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Maryland Manual, 1971-72
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