HARRY HUGHES, Governor

3279

WHEREAS, The Maryland Department of Natural Resources
owns more than 76,000 acres of land in Garrett County,
comprising about 1 acre out of every 6 in the County; and

WHEREAS, The Department presently has authorization to
increase its ownership to an amount that would constitute 21
percent of the County's area; and

WHEREAS, This land has been acquired incrementally
during the past 70 years, with the result that the
Department lands do not always comprise logical management
units because of irregular boundaries, private in-holdings,
isolation of parcels, and limited access; and

WHEREAS, This disjointed ownership pattern increases
management costs and problems, limits public use and
enjoyment of these lands, and does not necessarily correlate
State ownership with the lands having the best resource
value for the citizens of the State; and

WHEREAS, In adopting its first county-wide
comprehensive development plan in 1974, Garrett County
raised legitimate questions regarding the effect of
Departmental land ownership on the local economy and land
use patterns, and urged the Department to prepare its own
comprehensive evaluation and long-range plan for patterns of
retention, acquisition, and disposal of Departmental land;
and

WHEREAS, In reviewing the draft of the County Plan, the
Department stated in 1974 that "the Department needs to
develop a formal plan for Departmental lands in Garrett
County" and further stated that "we wish to commit ourselves
now to this undertaking"; and

WHEREAS, Six and one-half years have elapsed since the
Department expressed this commitment, during which time an
initial draft plan was produced by Departmental staff, was
rewritten, was thoroughly discussed with the relevant
agencies within the Department, and was submitted to the
Secretary in June, 1980; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That the
General Assembly directs the Department of Natural Resources
to complete its proposed long-range plan for land ownership
in Garrett County, to initiate the process of public
discussion of the plan, and to submit by submitting a draft
of the plan to the Garrett County Commissioners and the
General Assembly by January 1, 1982; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution be sent to the
Honorable Harry Hughes, Governor of Maryland; the Garrett
County Board of County Commissioners, P.O. Box 72, Oakland,
Maryland 21550; and James B. Coulter, Secretary of Natural
Resources, Tawes State Office Building, Annapolis, Maryland
21401.