Ch. 334                                    2003 LAWS OF MARYLAND

(1996 Replacement Volume and 2002 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Estates and Trusts
Section 3-105

Annotated Code of Maryland
(2001 Replacement Volume and 2002 Supplement)

BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments,
Article - Natural Resources
Section 5-207

Annotated Code of Maryland
(2000 Replacement Volume and 2002 Supplement)

Preamble

WHEREAS, The State owns and manages over 100,000 acres of State forests
and parks; and

WHEREAS, Small, isolated tracts of land that are not owned by the State are
located entirely within and adjacent to the State forest and parks, particularly Green
Ridge State Forest; and

WHEREAS, The owners of the tracts of land are unknown, the title to the tracts
of land is uncertain, and no person has actually been in possession of the tracts of
land, under claim of title or otherwise, for a continuous period of 20 years; and

WHEREAS, The presence of small, isolated, private tracts of land within a State
forest or park Green Ridge State Forest makes it difficult for the State to manage the
entire forest as a whole for the benefit of the public; and

WHEREAS, It is in the public interest to return the isolated tracts of land to
public use and at the same time to preserve the rights of the actual owners of the
tracts of land in the event that such unknown owners subsequently come forward to
claim title to the tracts of land; now, therefore,

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Real Property

13-101.

(a)     In this title the following words have the meanings indicated unless
otherwise apparent from context.

(b)     "Certificate of reservation" means a certificate issued by the Commissioner
at the request of a governmental body upon a determination that vacant land OR
ABANDONED LAND exists and the governmental body wishes to reserve the land for
public use.

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