DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

FUNCTIONS

Tawes State Office Building, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, Maryland, March 2009. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

OFFICE OF SECRETARY

Tawes State Office Building, C-4, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, MD 21401 - 2397

Appointed by the Governor with Senate advice and consent, the Secretary of Natural Resources heads the Department.

The Secretary serves on the Governor's Executive Council, the Governor's Subcabinet on Climate, and the Smart Growth Subcabinet. In addition, the Secretary chairs the Governor's Council on the Chesapeake Bay (Governor's Chesapeake Bay Cabinet), the Cliff Erosion Steering Committee, the Coast Smart Council; the Rural Legacy Board, and the Scenic and Wild Rivers Review Board, and co-chairs the Executive Committee for Dredged Material Management Plans, and the Maryland Outdoor Learning Partnership.

As a member, the Secretary serves on the Board of Directors of the Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation; the Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Board; the Governor's Intergovernmental Commission for Agriculture; the Animal Waste Technology Fund Advisory Committee; the Bay Restoration Fund Advisory Committee; the Chesapeake Bay Commission; the Chesapeake Bay Trust; the Commission on Climate Change; the Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays; the Deep Creek Lake Policy and Review Board; the Maryland Efficient Grant Application Council; the Maryland Green Building Council; the Maryland Green Purchasing Committee; the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority; the Historic St. Mary's City Fort to 400 Commission; the Statewide Interoperability Executive Committee; the Invasive Plants Advisory Committee; the Council on Open Data; the Patuxent River Commission; the Pesticide Advisory Committee; the Potomac River Fisheries Commission; the Rural Maryland Council; the Seafood Marketing Advisory Commission; the Interdepartmental Advisory Committee on Small, Minority, and Women Business Affairs; the State Soil Conservation Committee; the Transportation Enhancements Program Executive Committee; and the Maryland 250 Commission.

CLIFF EROSION STEERING COMMITTEE
In March 2010, the Cliff Erosion Steering Committee was convened by the Department. The Committee is considering what actions would help 234 homeowners whose property is located on eroding cliffs in Calvert County which also are home to the endangered Puritan Tiger Beetle. The Committee also will assess eroding cliffs in Cecil and Kent counties.

COAST SMART COUNCIL
In June 2014, the Coast Smart Council was formed within the Department of Natural Resources by the General Assembly (Chapter 415, Acts of 2014).

The Council studies and analyzes factors and standards affecting the establishment of coast smart siting and design criteria, coast smart being construction practices that avoid or minimize the future impact of coastal flooding and the rise of sea levels. Further, the Council develops such siting and design criteria implementing coast smart requirements. For waivers from compliance with Coast Smart requirements, the Council also establishes procedures.

Eligibility criteria, standards, and procedures for categorical exemptions from the application of the coast smart requirements for proposed capital projects are developed by the Council. These include projects that have been designed to include adaptation and resiliency features to prevent or mitigate damage to the maximum extent practicable. The Council also may recommend regulations for adoption by the Secretary of Natural Resources (Chapter 111, Acts of 2024; Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 3-1001 through 3-1009).

In June 2015, the Council adopted its initial construction criteria.

ADVISORY COUNCIL ON DISABILITIES ISSUES
The Advisory Council on Disabilities Issues was formed in 1985 by the Secretary of Natural Resources.

The Council advises the Department on issues related to the accessibility of Departmental facilities, programs, activities, and jobs to disabled persons. Council members are appointed by the Secretary of Natural Resources (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 1-102(d)).

INVASIVE SPECIES MATRIX TEAM
In August 2007, the Invasive Species Matrix Team began meeting.

The Team leads the Department's scientific and technical response to non-native species which pose potential threats to Maryland's natural ecosystems and the Chesapeake Bay. Besides advising the Secretary of Natural Resources on policy and regulations pertaining to invasive species, such as mute swans, nutria, and zebra mussels, the Team also shares information, works to prevent introduction, and coordinates early detection and rapid response to the threat of invasive species.

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
The Office of Communications started as Public Communications Services under Management and Services and reorganized under the Deputy Secretary as the Public Communications Office in 1995. In August 2003, it was renamed the Office of Communications and Marketing, and assumed its current name in August 2007. The Office of Communications started as Public Communications Services under Management and Services and reorganized under the Deputy Secretary as the Public Communications Office in 1995. In August 2003, it was renamed the Office of Communications and Marketing, and assumed its current name in August 2007.

Under the Office is eGov and Digital Services.

eGOV & DIGITAL SERVICES
Under the Office of Communications, eGov and Digital Services started as e-Gov and Online Services and reformed as eGov and Digital Services by 2016.

OFFICE OF OUTDOOR RECREATION
The Office of Outdoor Recreation formed within the Department of Natural Resources in September 2021.

With the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Commerce, and other agencies, the Office works to support and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities and the economic benefits they produce. The Office also implements recommendations of the Maryland Outdoor Recreation Economic Commission.

NATURAL RESOURCES POLICE FORCE

The Natural Resources Police Force is Maryland's oldest State law enforcement agency and one of the oldest conservation law enforcement agencies in the country. Its origins trace to 1868, when the State Oyster Police Force was authorized to enforce oyster laws. As the State Fishery Force, it reorganized in 1874 under the Commissioner of Fisheries and, in 1880, under the Board of Public Works. In 1922, the Force became part of the Conservation Department and was renamed Maryland Patrol and Inspection Fleet. Marine enforcement by the Natural Resources Police Force originated from responsibilities of the early fisheries fleets.

For wildlife and inland fisheries, the creation of the post of State Game Warden in 1896 provided a system for uniformly enforcing conservation laws across Maryland. After the Warden's appointment, government programs were initiated that still define the inland enforcement duties of the Natural Resources Police Force. In 1922, the State Game Warden joined the Conservation Department along with the State Fishery Force (renamed the Maryland Patrol and Inspection Fleet). In 1939, the Conservation Department split into two departments: the Department of Tidewater Fisheries, and the Game and Inland Fish Commission (later the Department of Game and Inland Fish). The Marine Enforcement Fleet then was named the Division of Inspection and Patrol. Responsible for enforcing the Maryland Boat Act of 1960, it became the Maryland State Marine Police in 1962 and was made part of the Department of Chesapeake Bay Affairs in 1964. That department and the Department of Game and Inland Fish were abolished in 1969 when the Department of Natural Resources was created. In 1972, the Maryland State Marine Police was renamed the Natural Resources Police Force (Chapter 348, Acts of 1972). From 1992 to 1995, the Force was part of Resource Management. The Force transferred to Public Lands in 1995, to Resource Conservation in 2003, and to the Office of Secretary in May 2007.

Throughout Maryland, the Natural Resources Police Force has statewide authority to enforce conservation, boating and criminal laws. Since April 22, 2005, through a Memorandum of Agreement signed with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Force also can arrest violators of federal safety or security zones, further enhancing maritime security operations.

The Force provides maritime and rural search and rescue services. Through enforcement of hunting and wildlife conservation laws, the Force provides the primary law enforcement and emergency services for some remote areas in Maryland. The Force is responsible for all law enforcement within State parks, State forests, wildlife management areas, and all public lands owned and operated by the Department. Also, the Force is the lead agency for maritime homeland security on State waterways.

State laws and regulations on boating, commercial seafood harvesting and sport fishing, waterways pollution, and wildlife conservation are enforced by the Force, as are general criminal laws. The Force inspects boats for violations of conservation and boating laws, and inspects seafood processing houses and trucks carrying seafood cargo. It arrests and issues warnings to violators. The Force also investigates boating accidents and reports them to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Educational programs on boating and hunting safety are conducted by the Force. In addition, the Force operates the Natural Resources Police Academy at Matapeake and a central maintenance and supply facility (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 1-201 through 1-210).

Under the Natural Resources Police Force are the Office of Administrative Services, and three bureaus: Field Operations; Special Services; and Support Services.

OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES

The Office is responsible for budget, fiscal and personnel management; public information; and management information services. The Office also coordinates the removal of abandoned boats from Maryland waterways.

FIELD OPERATIONS BUREAU

Wildlife, fish and boating laws are enforced by the Field Operations Bureau, which also conducts search and rescue missions. Field Operations officers are cross-trained for assignment to either marine or inland patrols. They routinely perform police duties involving criminal violations, such as possession of controlled dangerous substances, theft, assault, fraud, manslaughter, and homicide. Operating out of four regional centers, the Field Operations officers patrol with a fleet of 30 large inboard vessels, 89 smaller outboard vessels, and 100 vehicles.

SPECIAL SERVICES BUREAU

The Bureau is responsible for homeland security, and special operations, such as criminal investigations, covert operations, underwater operations, and canine operations.

SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION
The Special Operations Division began within the Natural Resources Police Force as the Homeland Security Division in April 2003, and was renamed the Homeland Security Unit in January 2007. The Unit, in August 2009, was placed under the Homeland Security and Special Operations Division, which became the Special Operations Division later in 2009. The Unit reformed as the Special Operations and Homeland Security Unit under the Special Services Bureau in 2015. By February 2024, it was renamed the Special Operations Division.

The Unit assesses the resources and capabilities of the Natural Resources Police Force; identifies potential terrorist targets; and works to improve training, financing, communications, and other factors affecting the Force's ability to respond to homeland security threats and incidences.

K-9 UNIT
Created in 1994, the K-9 Unit assists field officers and allied agencies during daily patrols and resource inspections. In targeted enforcement efforts, Unit canines help with search warrants, specialized enforcement, searching for missing persons, and the recovery of bodies.

SUPPORT SERVICES BUREAU

For Natural Resources Police officers, the Bureau provides specialized training, both entry-level and in-service. The Bureau also educates the public about outdoor safety, ethics, and the use of resources.

Under the Bureau are two agencies: Maintenance and Supply; Natural Resources Police Training Academy; Records and Communications Center; and Safety Education.

RECORDS & COMMUNICATIONS CENTER
Originally called the Records and Communications Unit, the Records and Communications Center received its current name by February 2024.

SAFETY EDUCATION
Safety Education originated as the Support Services Division. It received its current name by February 2024. The unit oversees hunter education services, boating education services, and the Natural Resources Police Training Academy. To hunters and boaters who complete safety education courses, the unit issues certificates. By law, hunters must have a certificate before they can buy a hunting license. Also, any person born after July 1, 1972, must have a certificate to operate a registered or documented vessel.

DEPUTY SECRETARY

AQUATIC RESOURCES

Aquatic Resources leads State efforts to protect and restore Chesapeake Bay. It oversees the Chesapeake and Coastal Service, Fishing and Boating Services, and the Resource Assessment Service, and is aided by the Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays, and the Integrated Policy and Review Unit.

Tawes State Office Building, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, Maryland, August 2009. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

INTEGRATED POLICY & REVIEW UNIT
In June 2013, the Integrated Policy and Review Unit formed under Aquatic Resources. The Unit works to develop and implement systemic, sustainable and consistent environmental policies and project reviews to better protect Maryland's natural resources.

The Unit works through two divisions: Project Review, and Resource Policy.

CHESAPEAKE & COASTAL SERVICE

The Chesapeake and Coastal Service develops and helps implement watershed management strategies and projects to restore and protect the ecosystems of Chesapeake Bay and its watersheds. Programs derive from Maryland's commitment under the Chesapeake Bay Agreements of 1983 and 1987 to restore and protect the Bay, particularly its finfish, shellfish, wildlife, and other aquatic life. Departmental responsibilities under the Economic Growth, Resource Protection, and Planning Act are coordinated by the Chesapeake and Coastal Service (Chapter 437, Acts of 1992).

Within the Chesapeake and Coastal Service are four offices: Budget and Management Services; Coastal and Ocean Management; Restoration and Resilience; and Science and Stewardship.

OFFICE OF COASTAL & OCEAN MANAGEMENT

COASTAL & MARINE STEWARSHIP DIVISION
Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve System - Maryland. This program was created in accordance with the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. Representative estuarine systems, including valuable wetland habitat, are protected by the System for use as natural field laboratories. The System maintains three reserves on Chesapeake Bay: Otter Point Creek Component, Harford County; Monie Bay Component, Somerset County; and Jug Bay Component, Anne Arundel County. Each reserve is a field laboratory supporting several monitoring, research and educational programs.

OFFICE OF RESTORATION & RESILIENCE

This office develops Department policy on Bay-related issues, drawing on departmental expertise and advice from citizens and signatories to the Chesapeake Bay Agreement. It is responsible for Maryland's representation on the Living Resources Subcommittee of the Chesapeake Executive Council, an interstate agency. Under the 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement, that subcommittee develops and implements plans to protect and restore habitats, ecosystems, and populations of the Bay's living resources.

The Office of Restoration and Resilience directs three divisions: Chesapeake and Coastal Policy; Habitat Restoration and Conservation; and Restoration Financing.

OFFICE OF SCIENCE & STEWARDSHIP

This office is responsible for three divisions: Conservation Education and Stewardship; Economic and Social Sciences; and Geospatial Information and Analysis.

CONSERVATION EDUCATION & STEWARDSHIP DIVISION
The Conservation Education and Stewardship Division began as Watershed Stewardship, became Conservation Education under Ecosystem Restoration Services in 2007, and reorganized under its present name in 2014 under Science, Stewardship, and Assessment.

For the Department, Conservation Education and Stewardship coordinates programs, publications, and materials for conservation education to promote environmental awareness in Maryland.

Coastal Zone Management Program. With grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this unit administers the Coastal Zone Management Program. The Program is based upon the laws, regulations, authorities, expertise, and perspectives of six State departments (Agriculture, Budget & Management, Health, Housing & Community Development, Natural Resources, & Transportation); sixteen coastal counties and Baltimore City; two regional planning agencies; and numerous federal agencies.

Public Involvement Program. This program seeks help from civic and community associations, environmental groups, businesses, and local governments to protect and restore watersheds.

GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION & ANALYSIS
Geospatial Information and Analysis originated in 1995, when geographic information systems from the Water Resources Administration, the Tidewater Administration, and the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Commission consolidated to form the Geographic Information Services Division under the Chesapeake and Coastal Watershed Service. In September 2003, it reformed as the Watershed Information Services Division under Watershed Services. In July 2007, it restructured as Natural Resources Information Services under Chesapeake and Coastal Watershed Services, and by its present name in 2014 under Science, Stewardship, and Assessment.

CRITICAL AREA COMMISSION FOR THE CHESAPEAKE AND ATLANTIC COASTAL BAYS

Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake & Atlantic Coastal Bays, 1804 West St., Annapolis, Maryland, December 2016. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Also of critical concern, Maryland's coastal bays were recognized as estuaries of national significance in 1996, when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency added them to the National Estuary Program. Thereafter, the General Assembly extended protection of critical areas to lands around the Atlantic coastal bays of Assawoman, Isle of Wight, Sinepuxent, Newport, and Chincoteague in 2002, and renamed the Commission as the Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays to reflect its added responsibilities (Chapter 433, Acts of 2002).

As originally defined, the Critical Area encompassed the shores of Chesapeake Bay, including roughly 10% of Maryland's land, about 680,000 acres. In 2002, the General Assembly focused on the Atlantic coastal bays as well, adding approximately 30,000 more acres; and establishing a second critical area: the Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area (Chapter 433, Acts of 2002). Sixteen counties, Baltimore City, and forty-seven municipalities now have land within these critical areas.

Today, the Commission is responsible for reviewing and approving proposed changes to local critical area plans; proposals by a State or local government agency which might lead to major development within a critical area, and State projects on State-owned land within a critical area.

Climate Change. In December 2012, the Governor directed the Commission to evaluate existing regulations and policies for State Agency Actions Resulting in Development on State-Owned Lands. The Commission is to consider the adoption of new or revised provisions that address climate change and the risk of sea-level rise and other extreme weather-related impacts.

Mallard drake, Glen Burnie, Maryland, May 2018. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

In 2008, legislation strengthened the Program by giving the Commission more regulatory authority; updating critical area boundaries through the State Base Map Project, enhancing buffer and water quality protection; ensuring that growth allocation for new development is consistent with plans, environmental protection policy, and environmental impact processes; and toughening enforcement and variance provisions (Chapter 119, Acts of 2008).

Periodically, the Commission meets with the General Assembly's Joint Committee on the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Areas to review the Program.

The Commission has twenty-nine members. Twenty-one are appointed by the Governor to four-year terms with Senate advice and consent. Of these, twelve are elected or appointed local officials. Eight members serve ex officio. The Governor names the chair (Chapter 51, Acts of 2016; Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 8-1801 through 8-1817).

FISHING & BOATING SERVICES

Fisherman on Little Gunpowder Falls near Jerusalem Mill Historic Village, Kingsville (Harford County), Maryland, July 2016. Photo by Sarah A. Hanks.

Freshwater Fisheries Division. The Freshwater Fisheries Division organized in 1991. The Division protected, preserved, and restored the freshwater fish resources of Maryland. Through administration of the Fisheries Management and Protection Fund, the Division conducted scientific investigations and environmental review, propagated fish, and managed the nontidal finfish of the State.

Tidal Fisheries Division. The Tidal Fisheries Division traced its origin to the Commissioners of Fisheries created in 1874 (Chapter 150, Acts of 1874). In 1916, functions of the Commissioners of Fisheries were assigned to the Conservation Commission, which oversaw fish hatcheries (Chapter 682, Acts of 1916). The Conservation Department assumed fisheries duties in 1922 and was replaced in 1939 by the Department of Game and Inland Fish (Chapter 354, Acts of 1939). The Department was superseded in 1941 by the Department of Tidewater Fisheries, which became the Department of Chesapeake Bay Affairs in 1964 (Chapter 508, Acts of 1941; Chapter 82, Acts of 1964). That department, in turn, was replaced by the Fish and Wildlife Administration in 1970 and the Fisheries Administration in 1972 (Chapter 252, Acts of 1970; Chapter 348, Acts of 1972). In 1979, the Fisheries Administration reformed as the Tidal Fisheries Division of the Tidewater Administration. By 1984, the Division was renamed the Fisheries Division and, in 1993, it resumed the name, Tidal Fisheries Division. The Division in 1995 became part of the Fish, Heritage, and Wildlife Administration. Later that year, it joined the Fisheries Service. The Division preserved, enhanced, developed, and oversaw use of fishery resources in Maryland.

In 1995, functions of the Freshwater Fisheries Division and the Tidal Fisheries Division were assumed by the Fisheries Service. The Fisheries Service transferred from Resource Conservation to Aquatic Resources in May 2007.

In July 2011, aquaculture was redefined as an agricultural and fisheries management activity, and responsibility for aquaculture and seafood marketing transferred to the Fisheries Service in July 2011 (Chapter 411, Acts of 2011).

The Fisheries Service worked through ten divisions: Aquaculture; Communications and Outreach; Cooperative Management Investigations and Fisheries Health; Estuarine and Marine Fisheries; Fisheries Marketing; Hatcheries; Inland Fisheries; Fiscal and Management Services; and Shellfish. Through the September 2016 reorganization, Fishing and Boating Services now operates with eight divisions: Aquaculture and Industry Enhancement; Boating Services; Fiscal and Management Services; Fisheries Monitoring and Assessment; Legislative and Regulatory Review; Shellfish; Stakeholder Outreach and Services; and Stock Health, Data Management, and Analysis.

AQUACULTURE & INDUSTRY ENHANCEMENT DIVISION

In July 2011, the Division formed under the Fisheries Service as the Aquaculture and Permitting Division. At the same time, the Aquaculture Coordinator, the Aquaculture Coordinating Council, and the Aquaculture Review Board transferred from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Natural Resources (Chapter 411, Acts of 2011). In August 2012, the Division reorganized as the Aquaculture Division, and in September 2016 it reformed under its present name.

The Aquaculture Coordinator heads the Division, which is aided by the Aquaculture Coordinating Council, and the Aquaculture Review Board.

AQUACULTURE COORDINATING COUNCIL
In 1988, the Aquaculture Coordinating Council originated as the Aquaculture Advisory Committee (Chapter 534, Acts of 1988). In consultation with the Senate Economic and Environmental Affairs Committee and the House of Delegates Environmental Matters Committee, that committee proposed legislation to promote a major aquaculture industry for Maryland's tidal waters. In 1990, Committee recommendations helped create the Maryland Seafood and Aquaculture Loan Fund for expanding aquaculture or modernizing the seafood processing industry (Chapter 511, Acts of 1990). In June 2005, the Committee reformed as the Aquaculture Coordinating Council within the Department of Agriculture (Chapter 405, Acts of 2005). In July 2011, the Council transferred to the Fisheries Service of the Department of Natural Resources (Chapter 411, Acts of 2011).

Nineteen members constitute the Council. Six are named to three-year terms by the Governor. Other members include a senator chosen by the Senate President,and a delegate selected by the House Speaker. Also serving are representatives: one named by the Secretary of Agriculture, two by the Secretary of Natural Resources, two by the Fisheries Service and the Natural Resources Police; and two representing the University of Maryland named by the President, University of Maryland, College Park. The President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science also designates a member as do the Secretary of Business and Economic Development, the Secretary of the Environment, and the Secretary of Health (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 4-11A-03.2). Since October 2016, the Maryland Farm Bureau and the Oyster Recovery Partnership also each designate a member (Chapter 82, Acts of 2016).

AQUACULTURE REVIEW BOARD
The Aquaculture Review Board formed in June 2005 within the Department of Agriculture (Chapter 405, Acts of 2005). On July 1, 2011, the Board was placed under the Fisheries Service of the Department of Natural Resources (Chapter 411, Acts of 2011).

The Board coordinates the development of statewide aquaculture policy and works to streamline the application process for aquaculture leases. For persons applying for permits and licenses to conduct aquaculture activities in Maryland, the Board tracks each application and seeks to ensure that the applicant is fully informed during the process (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 4-11A-03.1).

Chaired by the Aquaculture Coordinator of the Department of Natural Resources, the Board includes one representative each from the Department of Agriculture; the Department of the Environment; the Maryland Department of Health; and the Department of Natural Resources. The National Marine Fisheries and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers each may have a representative on the Board.

LEASING & PERMITTING

BOATING SERVICES DIVISION

The Division oversees Facilities and Boat Act; and Hydrographic Operations, and is aided by the Maryland Boat Act Advisory Committee.

MARYLAND BOAT ACT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Maryland Boat Act Advisory Committee meets regularly to review proposed boating regulations, such as speed limits in specified areas (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 8-704(g)).

Committee members are appointed by the Secretary of Natural Resources.

HYDROGRAPHIC OPERATIONS
Hydrographic Operations maintains vessels and equipment, and operates three large DNR vessels: the Millard Tawes, the A. V. Sandusky, and the J. C. Widener, as well as other smaller boats. In specially designated or restricted areas, the Division provides icebreaking services in the winter and sets buoys and other aids to navigation. Further, it is responsible for Derelict Boats and Debris.

FISCAL & MANAGEMENT SERVICES DIVISION

FISHERIES MONITORING & ASSESSMENT DIVISION

To restore Atlantic sturgeon, American shad, and hickory shad in the Chesapeake Bay, the Division uses hatchery-produced fish. The Division improves recreational fisheries with hatchery-produced sportfish; maintains 5,000 acres of oyster reef sanctuary; and issues aquaculture permits and oyster bottom leases.

The Division is responsible for five programs: Blue Crab; Chesapeake Finfish; Coastal Fisheries; Freshwater Fisheries; and Striped Bass. Serving the Division is the Oyster Advisory Commission.

FRESHWATER FISHERIES PROGRAM
In April 2004, the Inland Fisheries Management Division formed from the Resource Management Division, and was renamed the Inland Fisheries Division in August 2012. In September 2016, it restructured as the Freshwater Fisheries Program under the Fisheries Monitoring and Assessment Division.

Maryland's inland fisheries resources are monitored and assessed by the Program which helps develop a management framework for both the conservation and equitable use of those resources.

The Program manages Maryland's nontidal fisheries resources, covering fourteen gamefish species, fifteen panfish species, 820 miles of wild trout streams, 89 impoundments, and 214,000 acres of tidal-influenced freshwater habitat. Species include largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, Northern pike, tiger muskellunge, and catfish. In the Patuxent, Choptank and Patapsco Rivers, the Program works to restore two species of shad to naturally reproducing levels.

Two units are overseen by the Program: Operations, and Planning.

LEGISLATIVE & REGULATORY REVIEW DIVISION

Commercial and recreational fisheries are regulated by the Legislative and Regulatory Review Division, while management plans for fish, crabs, oysters, and clams are researched, developed, and implemented. The Division also drafts legislation, formulates policy, and conducts public hearings and outreach programs. Additionally, it administers a limited entry system for apprenticeships in the commercial fisheries.

The Division is responsible for three programs: Fisheries Management Plans and Fish Passage, Policy, and Scientific Collection Permits.

SHELLFISH DIVISION

Oyster shells, Benedict, Maryland, November 2017. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH & SERVICES DIVISION

The Division oversees the Maryland Artificial Reef Committee, the Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission, and the Tidal Fisheries Advisory Commission.

MARYLAND ARTIFICIAL REEF COMMITTEE
In June 2007, the Maryland Artificial Reef Committee within the Fisheries Service first met. Formerly under the Legislation, Regulation and Habitat Division, the Committee moved to the Communications and Marketing Division.

The Committee advises the Director of the Fisheries Service on developing, monitoring, and managing artificial reefs in Maryland waters.

Committee members represent conservation organizations, commercial harvestors, the seafood industry, State and county government, and the scientific community.

SPORT FISHERIES ADVISORY COMMISSION
Formerly under the Legislation, Regulation and Habitat Division, the Sports Fisheries Advisory Commission transferred to the Communications and Marketing Division in March 2008. The Commission advises the Department on recreational fishing matters.

The Commission has seventeen members who are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor with the advice of the Secretary of Natural Resources (Chapter 587, Acts of 2014; Chapter 307, Acts of 2015; Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 1-102, 4-204).

TIDAL FISHERIES ADVISORY COMMISSION
Within the Fisheries Service and formerly under the Legislation, Regulation and Habitat Division, the Commission was placed under the Communications and Marketing Division in March 2008.

Among other duties, the Commission annually advises the Department on the fair market price for fresh oyster shells and the cost for transporting and placing shells (Chapters 318 & 319, Acts of 2009; Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 4-1019.2).

The Commission consists of up to sixteen members appointed to two-year terms by the Governor with the advice of the Secretary of Natural Resources (Chapter 307, Acts of 2015; Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 1-102, 4-204). Fourteen members are commercial watermen, one is a member of the Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission, and one represents the State's aquaculture industry.

STOCK HEALTH, DATA MANAGEMENT, & ANALYSIS DIVISION

COOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT INVESTIGATIONS & FISHERIES HEALTH DIVISION
[SARBANES COOPERATIVE OXFORD LABORATORY]
904 South Morris St., Oxford, MD 21654

In 1960, the U.S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries established the Oxford Laboratory to investigate oyster diseases which struck Chesapeake Bay in the late 1950s. Originally a federal research center, the Laboratory in 1987 became a joint research and monitoring facility of the Department of Natural Resources, and the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. After renovation and expansion, the Cooperative Oxford Laboratory was renamed the Sarbanes Cooperative Oxford Laboratory in February 1999 to honor Maryland's former U.S. Senator Paul S. Sarbanes, a long-term mentor and supporter. Oversight for the Laboratory moved to the Estuarine and Marine Fisheries Division of the Fisheries Service in April 2004. In July 2011, the Laboratory became the Fish Health, Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles Division, and in August 2012 assumed its present name.

Located on 11.5 acres along the Tred Avon River in Talbot County, the Laboratory is a complex of laboratories and experimental ponds with an extensive scientific library. Laboratory technicians diagnose and monitor diseases of shellfish, finfish, and wildlife in Maryland. A unit of the National Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Stranding Network also is based here.

BOARD OF VISITORS
Appointed by the Secretary of Natural Resources, the Board of Visitors is an advisory body which periodically reviews the mission, facilities, and accomplishments of the Sarbanes Cooperative Oxford Laboratory.

RESOURCE ASSESSMENT SERVICE

Origins of the Resource Assessment Service trace to 19th-century legislation safeguarding Maryland clams, oysters, and fish. Many of its later duties stem from the Department of Tidewater Fisheries created under the Board of Natural Resources in 1941 (Chapter 508, Acts of 1941). That department reorganized as the Department of Chesapeake Bay Affairs in 1964, and was placed under the Department of Natural Resources in 1969 (Chapter 82, Acts of 1964; Chapter 154, Acts of 1969). In 1972, the Department merged with the Fish and Wildlife Administration to form the Fisheries Administration (Chapter 348, Acts of 1972). Duties of the Fisheries Administration were assigned to the Tidal Fisheries Division in 1979, when the Division joined with the Coastal Zone Management Program, and Waterway Improvement to form the Tidewater Administration (Chapter 601, Acts of 1979). Reorganized in 1988, the Administration was made part of Resource Management in 1992. As the Resource Assessment Administration, it was assigned to Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Programs in 1995. Later that year, it became the Resource Assessment Service. In May 2007, it transferred to Aquatic Resources.

The Service collects and interprets scientific data to help restore, protect, and manage Maryland tidal and nontidal ecosystems. The Service oversees the work of the Maryland Geological Survey, and four divisions: Monitoring and Nontidal Assessment; Power Plant Assessment; Support Services; and Tidewater Ecosystem Assessment.

MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Kenneth N. Weaver Building, 2300 St. Paul St., Baltimore, Maryland, April 2007. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Coastal and estuarine geology related to erosion and sedimentation in the Chesapeake Bay and along the ocean shoreline are studied by the Survey. As part of its applied earth science research on the Bay, the Survey was one of the principal investigators on the Chesapeake Bay Program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Survey's work is carried out by three projects: Coastal and Estuarine Geology; Environmental Geology and Mineral Resources; and Hydrogeology and Hydrology.

The Director is appointed by the Governor upon recommendation of the Secretary of Natural Resources (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 2-201 through 2-203).

Under the Survey are two projects: Coastal and Environmental Geology, and Hydrogeology and Hydrology. The Survey also is assisted by the Commission of the Maryland Geological Survey, the Geologic Mapping Advisory Committee, and the Maryland Water Monitoring Council.

GEOLOGIC MAPPING ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Created in 1992, the Geologic Mapping Advisory Committee advises the Director of the Maryland Geological Survey on the development of geologic maps of areas important to the economic, social and scientific welfare of the State and nation. The Committee is concerned with the State geologic mapping component (called STATEMAP) of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program. The Program was established in 1992 within the U.S. Geological Survey (P.L. 102-285, National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992).

COMMISSION OF THE MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
The Commission of the Maryland Geological Survey advises the Director on matters concerning the Survey.

Appointed by the Secretary of Natural Resources, the Commission's five members serve five-year terms (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 2-204).

MARYLAND WATER MONITORING COUNCIL
The Maryland Water Monitoring Council organized in 1995 to foster cooperation among groups involved in water monitoring. The Council is concerned with physical, chemical and biological monitoring, as well as the evaluation of land use factors that change aquatic habitat.

COASTAL & ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY PROJECT
The Coastal and Environmental Geology Project originated from two earlier projects. It started from the Shore Erosion Investigation Program, which organized in 1971 as the Coastal and Estuarine Geology Project. Thereafter, its second source - the Environmental Geology and Mineral Resources Project - was created in 1972 from the merger of two programs: Geologic Investigations and Topographic Maps. In September 2007, the Costal and Estuarine Geology Project combined with the Environmental Geology and Mineral Resources Project to form the Coastal and Environmental Geology Project.

Project studies provide an earth science framework for managing Maryland's mineral, energy and land resources. The geologic framework and resources of the State's coastal environments, extending from the barrier island of the Atlantic Ocean to the wetlands and shorelines of Chesapeake Bay, also are investigated by the Project. Orthophoto quadrangle maps from aerial photography, combined with historical shoreline erosion maps, provide the basis to evaluate shoreline changes in the Bay region. In addition, the Project monitors the geochemical components and physical features of sediments around the Hart-Miller Island Containment Facility.

Geologic, environmental and topographic maps are made by the Project, which investigates mineral and energy resources. Topographic maps created by the Project are used by the public for activities, such as hiking and camping, and by State and local governments for a myriad of technical and planning applications. Geologic maps provide data about the kinds of rocks and the location of minerals (predominantly sand, gravel, stone, and coal) and provide background for the intelligent planning and use of Maryland's geologic natural resources.

In 1975, the Chesapeake Bay Earth Science Study was assigned to the Project. The Study's work determines the distribution of sands, silts, and clays; identifies the patterns of erosion and deposition of these sediments; and analyzes the geochemistry of the pore waters in these sediments.

The Project provides technical advice and assistance for the Geologic Exhibits and Visitors Center at Sideling Hill in western Maryland. Through the library of the Maryland Geological Survey, aerial photos and large-scale maps are available to the public and private industry.

HYDROGEOLOGY & HYDROLOGY PROJECT
In 1972, the Hydrogeology and Hydrology Project started. In cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey, the Project maintains a statewide water data network and investigates the hydrologic and geologic characteristics of Maryland's water resources.

The surface-water data network provides information on minimum, maximum and average streamflows for the planning of water supply and sewage facilities, water power projects, dams, and bridges. The groundwater network measures water levels in aquifers and selected springs and relates changes in groundwater levels to withdrawals and precipitation. The groundwater network also monitors the hydrologic effects of long-term changes in pumpage, land use patterns, and rainfall.

Special resource assessment studies undertaken with local and county governments consider the extent of saltwater intrusion, aquifer and streamflow characteristics, and water quality and rates of replenishment. They also evaluate water-well sampling for basic chemistry, nutrients, radon, and either industrial organic constituents, or agricultural herbicide or pesticide residues.

MONITORING & NONTIDAL ASSESSMENT DIVISION

In Maryland streams, rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay, the Division conducts water monitoring and technical assessments. This work describes the status of ecosystems, contributes to the development of habitat protection and restoration, and measures changes caused by watershed management. The Division consolidates scientific programs of the Resource Assessment Service in the areas of ecological habitat impacts, biological assessments, nonindigenous aquatic species control, and atmospheric deposition.

A 49-foot research vessel, the RV Kerhin, is used for Bay research by the Division. Formerly named the RV Discovery, the vessel was renamed the RV Kerhin after Randall T. Kerhin's death. A world-renowned geologist, Dr. Kerhin's efforts were instrumental in acquiring the boat for research.

Under the Division are six units: Administration; Atmospheric Deposition; Ecological Assessment; Graphics Support; Monitoring; and the Research Vessel Kerhin.

POWER PLANT ASSESSMENT DIVISION

To evaluate and minimize the environmental effects of power plants without imposing unreasonable costs on the production of electricity, the Division conducts environmental research, monitoring, and assessments. Recommendations necessary to protect the environment, related to the design, construction, and operation of power plants, are made to the Public Service Commission and other regulatory agencies. The Division also helps select sites for dredged materials and monitors the environmental impact of these sites (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 3-301 through 3-307).

The Division is aided by the Power Plant Research Advisory Committee.

POWER PLANT RESEARCH ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Appointed by the Secretary of Natural Resources, the Power Plant Research Advisory Committee advises the Secretary on the Power Plant Assessment Program (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 1-102(d), 3-303).

TIDEWATER ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT DIVISION

Under the Division are five units: Data and Computer Resources; Living Resource Assessment; Quantitative Ecological Assessments; Support Services; and Water and Habitat Quality.

ENTERPRISE SERVICES

Enterprise Services originated in May 2007 as Mission Support, which organized from Management Services. In July 2019, it was renamed Enterprise Services.

Enterprise Services oversees four major components: Finance and Administrative Service; Human Resource Service; Information Technology; and Licensing and Registration Service; as well as Audit and Management Review, and Inventory Management.

AUDIT & MANAGEMENT REVIEW

RECORDS MANAGEMENT
Since October 1, 2017, the Department of Natural Resources has had a program for the continual, economical and efficient management of its records. The Department's Records Officer develops and oversees the program, and serves as liaison to the Records Management Division of the Department of General Services, and to the State Archives (Chapter 539, Acts of 2017; Code State Government Article, secs. 10-608 through 10-611).

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Under Information Technolgy are Applications and Web Services; Information Technology Portfolio and Project Management; Technical Services; and Wireless Communications.

LICENSING & REGISTRATION SERVICE

The Licensing and Registration Service began as the Licensing and Watercraft Registration Service. Under its present name, it joined the Resource Management Service in 1995 and transferred to the Management Service in 2001. In February 2006, it moved to Information Technology and Licensing, and in May 2007, transferred to Mission Support (now Enterprise Services).

Sailboats at Nabbs Creek, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, August 2000. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Regional service centers operate in Annapolis, Bel Air, Centreville, Cumberland, Essex, Frederick, Prince Frederick, and Salisbury (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 4-601 through 4-1043; 8-701 through 8-740; 10-301 through 10-1108).

LAND RESOURCES

Tawes State Office Building entrance, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, Maryland, June 1999. Photo by Diane P. Frese.

Under the oversight of Land Resources are Engineering and Construction, and the Maryland Environmental Trust. In May 2007, the Maryland Forest Service, the Maryland Park Service, and the Wildlife and Heritage Service also transferred to Land Resources, and in August 2007, Land Acquisition and Planning was created within Land Resources to consolidate those functions.

GREENSPACE EQUITY ADVISORY BOARD
In June 2023, the General Assembly authorized the Greenspace Equity Advisory Board within the Department of Natural Resources (Chapter 487, Acts of 2023).

The Board advises the Department of Natural Resources on the implementation and administration of the Greenspace Equity Program. The purpose of the Program is to enhance the public health and livability of overburdened and underserved communities by implementing projects to preserve, create, and enhance community greenspace.

Eleven members make up the Board. Nine are appointed by the Governor to four-year terms, and one each by the Senate President and House Speaker, The Governor chooses the Chair (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 5-9D-05)

ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION

By 1984, Engineering and Construction formed as the Capital Development Program, a part of the Capital Programs Administration. Renamed Engineering Services in 1990, the Program became Engineering and Construction Services in 1991 under Public Lands. In 1992, it was placed under Public Lands and Forestry and, in 1995, as Engineering and Construction transferred to Public Lands. In August 2003, it became part of Land and Water Conservation, and in May 2007 joined Land Resources.

Engineering and Construction provides design and construction services to other Department agencies and local jurisdictions; evaluates facilities in order to plan capital expenditures; and helps preserve historic properties owned by the Department. In 2005, it became responsible for shore erosion control functions, providing technical assistance to property owners who have erosion problems on tidal shorelines or on the banks of fresh water streams. Assistance includes site evaluations, problem assessment, and recommendations for solutions, including financial assistance.

OCEAN CITY BEACH REPLENISHMENT & HURRICANE PROTECTION PROJECT
The Ocean City Beach Replenishment and Hurricane Protection Project gives storm protection to Ocean City and maintains the recreation beach used by 4 million visitors annually. The Project was constructed in two phases. Phase I established a wide, gradually rising beach and level berm area. Completed in September 1988, it was funded by State government, Ocean City, and Worcester County. Phase II included 1.8 miles of steel bulkhead protecting the boardwalk and 7 miles of dunes and berm to provide hurricane protection up to the Delaware boundary line. It was funded jointly by the State, Ocean City, Worcester County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

State funding for Phases I and II, and continued maintenance of the Project comes from the Ocean Beach Replenishment Fund, established in 1986 (Chapter 606, Acts of 1986; Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 8-1103). To retain its 100-year storm protection level and ensure federal involvement (in case of a major catastrophe), the beach is to be replenished every four years.

MARYLAND ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST

The Maryland Environmental Trust formed in 1967 to conserve, improve, stimulate, and perpetuate the aesthetic, natural, scenic and cultural aspects of the Maryland environment (Chapter 648, Acts of 1967). The Trust also promotes conservation of open space, and appreciation of the environment and its care.

100 Community Place, Crownsville, Maryland, July 2016. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Conservation Easement Program. The Trust seeks donations of conservation easements to the State on certain lands to preserve the land from development. The conservation easement allows landowners to protect their properties permanently from development and, in many cases, to receive substantial tax benefits from their donation of developmental rights. In giving these easements, landowners donate the developmental rights on their property while retaining all other rights of ownership. By the end of 2012, the Trust had secured 1,040 conservation easements on over 129,000 acres.

Keep Maryland Beautiful Program. Established in 1986, the Keep Maryland Beautiful Program focuses on environmental education projects. It supports voluntary activities and achievements by schools, and civic and community organizations.

Local Land Trust Assistance. Conservation easements may be held jointly by the Trust and a local land trust. The Trust assists citizen groups in the formation and operation of local land trusts by offering training, technical assistance, administrative and project grants, and membership in the Maryland Land Trust Alliance.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Maryland Environmental Trust is governed by a nineteen-member Board of Trustees. Three members serve ex officio. Each year, sixteen members elect four of their own successors to four-year terms. The successor trustees are elected from recommendations submitted by the ex officio members. The Trust appoints the Director (Chapter 148, Acts of 2016; Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 3-201 through 3-211).

FOREST SERVICE

Origins of the Forest Service trace to 1906 when John and Robert Garrett of Baltimore gave the State nearly 2,000 acres of land in the Swallow Falls area of Garrett County. The gift came with a proviso that a forestry service be established to protect woodlands and advance forestry. That same year, the Board of Forestry was created (Chapter 294, Acts of 1906).

In 1941, the Board of Forestry was replaced by the Department of Forests and Parks under supervision of the Board of Natural Resources (Chapter 508, Acts of 1941). In 1969, the Department of Forests and Parks became part of the Department of Natural Resources (Chapter 154, Acts of 1969). The Department of Forests and Parks in 1972 divided into two units: the Park Service and the Forest Service (Chapter 348, Acts of 1972). These agencies recombined in 1982 as the Forest and Park Service (Chapter 184, Acts of 1982). In 1984, the Forest and Park Service merged with the Wildlife Administration to form the Forest, Park and Wildlife Service (Chapter 136, Acts of 1984). The Department separated the State Forest and Park Service from the Wildlife Program in 1991. In December 2004, the Secretary of Natural Resources renamed the State Forest and Park Service as the Maryland Park Service (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 1-104(c)).

With the Forest Conservancy Districts Act, forestry programs started in 1943 under the Board of Natural Resources (Chapter 722, Acts of 1943). When the Department of Natural Resources formed in 1969, the Forest Conservancy Districts Program came under the new Department. In 1971, the Program was renamed the Technical Forestry and Reforestation Program. By 1979, it was called Cooperative Forest Management and, by 1983, the Cooperative Forestry Program. It became Forestry Programs in 1991 and the Forest Service in 1992. The Forest Service became part of the Forest, Wildlife and Heritage Service in 1995. In October 2001, it reformed as a separate unit under the Resource Management Service. In May 2007, it moved to Land Resources.

The Forest Service restores, manages, and protects Maryland's trees, forests, and forested ecosystems to sustain the State's natural resources and connect Marylanders with nature. The Service seeks to improve and maintain the economic, aesthetic, recreational and environmental contributions of trees, forests, and forest-related resources for human benefit. Duties include cooperative forest management; urban and community forestry; resource use, planning, and protection; and all matters relating to forestry in the critical areas surrounding Chesapeake Bay. In January 2004, management oversight of four State forests transferred to the Forest Service from the State Forest and Park Service.

Currently, the Forest Service is responsible for nine State forests, three demonstration forests, one tree nursery, and the Chesapeake Forest Lands, totalling about 202,522 acres. The State Forests are Cedarville; Elk Neck; Garrett; Green Ridge; Pocomoke; Potomac; St. Inigoes; Salem; and Savage River.

To private landowners and local governments, the Forest Service provides forest management expertise. Forest fire prevention and control, insect and disease control, land and watershed management, as well as reforestation, and urban and community forestry constitute the main thrusts of Service programs. Through urban and community forestry, the Service carefully plans development and large-scale forestry projects with developers, builders, architects, and city and county planners. Supervision of utility trimming and municipal tree care is an important part of urban and community forestry. The urban forestry concept includes granting individual shade tree consultations to private landowners, as time permits.

In 1925, Frederick W. Besley, Maryland's first and longest-serving State Forester (1906-1942), instituted the Maryland Big Tree Program. The Program established standards for measuring trees, so that champions could be determined for tree species in the State. In 1940, the Program became national, and now the Champion Trees National Register is maintained by American Forests. In Maryland, budget constraints in 2007 resulted in the transfer of responsibility for the Program from the Department of Natural Resources to the Maryland State Association of Forest Conservancy District Boards.

The Forest Service works through three major components: Field Operations; Forest Stewardship and Utilization; and Statewide Programs. It is assisted by the Maryland Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee, and the Sustainable Forestry Council.

MARYLAND FOREST STEWARDSHIP COORDINATING COMMITTEE
Under the federal Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 as amended by the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, each state was required to establish a forest stewardship coordinating committee (16 U.S.C. 2113b).

The Maryland Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee works with the State Forester to implement the Forest Land Enhancement Program. Federally funded, the Program assists landowners in managing private forest lands through: financial assistance and cost-share programs; resource management expertise and technical assistance; and the development and implementation of educational programs.

With the State Forester, the Committee developed and approved the State Priority Plan in November 2003. The Committee monitors the progress of the Program and reports to the Forest Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY COUNCIL
Functions of the Sustainable Forestry Council originated with the Forest and Park Advisory Commission from which the Forest Advisory Commission was created in 1988 (Chapter 178, Acts of 1988). The Commission last met in October 1999, and was abolished in October 2009 (Chapter 175, Acts of 2009). In October 2009, the Sustainable Forestry Council was authorized in place of the Commission within the Department of Natural Resources (Chapter 175, Acts of 2009).

The Council advises the Department of Natural Resources on sustainable forestry management in Maryland and on expenditures from the Woodland Incentives Fund. Also, the Council may provide advice on regulatory and statutory policies that may be a hinderance to a viable forest products industry; new markets to enhance forest health; innovative strategies to keep private forest lands whole and undeveloped; and ways to measure how forested acres benefit nutrient efficiency.

The Council's nine members are appointed by the Governor with the advice of the Secretary of Natural Resources (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 5-204).

FOREST CONSERVANCY DISTRICT BOARDS
Forest Conservancy District Boards function in all twenty-three Maryland counties and Baltimore City. The Boards started as District Forestry Boards in 1943 to assist the Department of Forests and Parks by promoting forest management on privately owned woodlands. Their original goal was to help assure a continuous supply of wood fiber products through scientific forest management.

Today, Forest Conservancy District Boards strive to improve the environment in urban and suburban areas and educate people about the benefits of forests. Board members work closely with foresters throughout the State. The Boards primarily serve as advisory, educational and facilitating bodies. In the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, they approve all forest management plans. The Boards also review proposed laws and represent the interests of forestry with local, State and federal legislatures (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 5-601 through 5-610).

Board members are appointed by the State Forester to three-year terms on recommendation of the local forester in consultation with Board members. The chief requirement for membership is an interest in forestry and a desire to see resources used wisely and renewed. Meeting at least four times a year, each board has five or more members.

CHESAPEAKE FOREST

The Chesapeake Forest comprises 59,062 acres in six counties on Maryland's lower Eastern Shore. These include Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. Subdivided into 238 parcels, the land previously belonged to the Chesapeake Forest Products Corporation.

To preserve the land that would become the Chesapeake Forest, the State in 1999 entered into a partnership with The Conservation Fund and Hancock Timber Resources Group. The State purchased 29,000 acres outright, and The Conservation Fund (through the Richard King Mellon Fund) purchased the rest and transferred it to the State in December 2000.

The Conservation Fund acreage came with a three-year sustainable management plan which furthered environmental goals of preserving the land, but also continued to boost local economies through commercial foresting activities. During that transition period, the Department developed its own sustainable forest management plan for the Chesapeake Forest.

FOREST STEWARDSHIP & UTILIZATION
To improve the management of private forest lands, the Forest Stewardship Program was begun in 1991 by the Forest Service in cooperation with other natural resource conservation agencies, foresters, and forest advocacy groups. In July 2008, the Program was combined with Forest Marketing and Utilization and assumed its present name.

Forest Stewardship and Utilization prepares Resource Conservation Plans for nonindustrial private forest landowners. Cooperating agencies provide tehnical assistance to private landowners for all their forest resources, including water, recreation, and wildlife. This State program is part of a nationwide effort initiated by the National Association of State Foresters in cooperation with the State and Private Forestry Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Forest Stewardship and Utilization also oversees the State Nursery at Preston.

URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAMS
The planning for and management of a community's forest resources to enhance the quality of life is known as urban forestry. The process integrates the environmental, economic, political, historical and social values of the community with the management plan for the urban forest.

Urban Forestry Programs began as the Urban and Community Forestry Program in 1984 (Chapter 543, Acts of 1984). The Program implements ecosystem management strategies to enhance urban forests and associated vegetation. Forest loss and gain by county and by subwatershed are tracked by the Program using the inventory mandated by the Forest Conservation Act of 1991 (Chapter 255, Acts of 1991). The Program also oversees Tree-Mendous Maryland, a cooperative effort by citizens, community groups, and businesses to plant trees on public lands.

LAND ACQUISITION & PLANNING

Land Acquisition and Planning originated as Land Planning Services under the Capital Programs Administration and reorganized as Greenways and Resource Planning in 1991. Under the Land and Water Conservation Service, it was renamed Resource Planning in 1995 and, in 2000, placed directly under Public Lands. In August 2003, Resource Planning moved to Land and Water Conservation, and in March 2006 became Public Lands Policy and Planning. Under Land Resources in August 2007, Land Acquisition and Planning was created to merge functions from Capital Grants and Loans, and Public Lands Policy and Planning.

To help the Department acquire, develop, and manage public lands and scenic rivers, Land Acquisition and Planning provides planning, mapping, environmental review, and capital budget services. It coordinates the Department's environmental review of all proposals that affect Department lands, including leases, sales, and easements. In support of capital budget requests, planners prepare environmental and growth management assessments. Land Acquisition and Planning also is responsible for the State wildlands preservation system. The system is composed of areas in Maryland designated by the General Assembly as wildlands (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 5-1203).

Under Land Acquisition and Planning are four agencies: Community Resilience; Land Conservation; Real Property; and Stewardship.

COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

LAND CONSERVATION

PROGRAM OPEN SPACE
Tawes State Office Building, E-3, 580 Taylor Ave., Annapolis, MD 21401 - 2397

Since 1969, Program Open Space has been acquiring outdoor recreation and open space areas for public use (Chapter 403, Acts of 1969). The Program administers funds made available to local communities for open and recreational space by the Outdoor Recreation Land Loan of 1969 and from the Land and Water Conservation Fund of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. The Program also coordinates the acquisition of Department lands for the use of all departmental agencies (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 5-901 through 5-910).

Under Program Open Space, the Community Parks and Playgrounds Program provides funds to local governments to restore and improve existing parks or create new ones.

In 2001, Program Open Space became responsible for the Department's allocation of funds from the Maryland GreenPrint Program. That program began in 2001 with the Green Infrastructure Assessment, which identified lands with important ecological and biodiversity-related characteristics, such as wetlands, wildlife habitats and migration routes, and contiguous forested areas. The Assessment helped coordinate State efforts to protect ecologically sensitive lands by targeting these green corridors for conservation as part of the GreenPrint Program. Through Program Open Space, the Rural Legacy Program, and the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, GreenPrint funds were used to acquire property or property rights that contribute to a statewide Green Infrastructure Network. The Program ended June 30, 2006 (Chapter 570, Acts of 2001).

RURAL LEGACY PROGRAM
In 1997, the Rural Legacy Program was created within the Department of Natural Resources (Chapter 757, Acts of 1997). By protecting Maryland's natural and environmental resources, the Program establishes a rural legacy for future generations. It protects natural, agricultural, forest and environmental resources. To avoid sprawl development and encourage land conservation, the Program also helps local governments and land trusts buy interests in real property in designated rural legacy areas (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 5-9A-01 through 5-9A-09).

As of April 2019, the Program has provided over $311 million to protect 100,429 acres of valuable farmland, forests, and natural areas.

RURAL LEGACY BOARD
Created in 1997, the Rural Legacy Board administers the Rural Legacy Program.

The Board establishes a method for appraising real property acquired under the Program, and may establish partnerships with other governmental agencies to carry out the Program.

Three members make up the Board: the Secretary of Natural Resources, who serves as chair; the Secretary of Agriculture; and the Secretary of Planning (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 5-9A-03, 5-9A-04).

ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The Rural Legacy Board is aided by the Rural Legacy Board Advisory Committee. Applications for Rural Legacy Areas are reviewed by the Committee, which makes recommendations for Rural Legacy Area designations, and considers other matters as requested by the Board.

The Committee's eleven members are appointed by the Governor with Senate advice and consent (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 5-9A-08).

REAL PROPERTY

For all Department of Natural Resources lands, Real Property researches property records (deeds, surveys, land patents) and prepares project boundary maps. These maps show properties in the acquisition program, as well as properties owned by the Department or not yet acquired. The Section also conducts surveys, and reviews and updates the maps.

STEWARDSHIP

In order to receive land and water conservation funding from the National Park Service, Stewardship is required to update the Land Preservation and Recreation Plan every five years. The Plan provides a framework for the acquisition of open space, and the development of outdoor recreational facilities. Stewardship also gives technical assistance to local governments in the preparation of their land preservation, parks and recreational plan. In addition, Stewardship oversees the Scenic and Wild Rivers Program.

SCENIC & WILD RIVERS PROGRAM
For the nine rivers of the scenic and wild rivers system, the Scenic and Wild Rivers Program prepares resource management plans to promote the wise use of river, land and water resources and improve resource conservation. Planners work with local scenic rivers citizen advisory boards developing recommendations for local governments on resource use.

Under the Scenic and Wild Rivers Program are the following rivers and their tributaries: Anacostia; Deer Creek; Monocacy (in Carroll & Frederick counties); Patuxent; Pocomoke; Potomac (in Montgomery & Frederick counties); Severn; Wicomico (in Charles County); and Youghiogheny. At this time, however, only Deer Creek, the Monocacy, and the Youghiogheny have local review boards.

Under the Program is the Scenic and Wild Rivers Review Board.

SCENIC & WILD RIVERS REVIEW BOARD
In 1968, the Scenic and Wild Rivers Review Board was created by the General Assembly, and was made part of the Department of Natural Resources in 1969 (Chapter 85, Acts of 1968; Chapter 154, Acts of 1969).

All inventories, studies, plans, rules, and regulations concerning the Scenic and Wild Rivers Program are reviewed by the Board. During review, recommendations of the Secretary of Natural Resources, local governing bodies, and local advisory boards are considered. The Board also advises the General Assembly on resource management plans for rivers, shorelines, and related lands included in the Program, and recommends additional rivers and tributaries for the Program.

The Board consists of four ex officio members, and a Garrett County Commissioner who votes only on matters pertaining to the wild portion of the Youghiogheny River (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 8-401 through 8-411).

MARYLAND PARK SERVICE

Origins of the Maryland Park Service trace to 1906 when John and Robert Garrett of Baltimore gave the State nearly 2,000 acres of land in the Swallow Falls area of Garrett County. The gift came with a proviso that a forestry service be established to protect woodlands and advance forestry. That same year, the Board of Forestry was created (Chapter 294, Acts of 1906).

Visitors Center, Greenbrier State Park, Boonsboro (Washington County), Maryland, August 2019. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Muddy Creek Falls at Swallow Falls State Park, north of Oakland (Garrett County), Maryland, October 2014. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary, 11704 Fenno Road, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, April 2014. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.

The State's newest park, Wolf Den Run State Park in Garrett County, opened in July 2019. Prior to that, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park opened in Dorchester County in January 2015. Ground was broken for its Visitor Center in March 2013, and its grand opening was celebrated March 11, 2017.

The Service also oversees two State marinas. It operates Somers Cove Marina, home of the Annual Crab Derby in Crisfield. It monitors the contract for managing the Fort Washington Marina at Piscataway Bay off the Potomac River in Prince George's County. Parks and recreation brochures are available at each park and from the Service.

Cunningham Falls, Cunningham Falls State Park, Thurmont (Frederick County), Maryland, April 2004. Photo by Ann J. Baker.

DEEP CREEK LAKE POLICY & REVIEW BOARD
The Deep Creek Lake Policy and Review Board formerly was the Deep Creek Lake Advisory and Review Committee. It reorganized under its present name in 2000 (Chapter 560, Acts of 2000).

The Board advises the Secretary of Natural Resources on matters relating to Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County, particularly in regard to the Deep Creek Lake Recreation Maintenance and Management Fund and the Deep Creek Lake Management Program. Further, the Board advises the Secretary of the Environment on matters concerning Deep Creek Lake that are within the jurisdiction of the Secretary.

Twelve members constitute the Committee. They include five members appointed by the Governor; the State Senator representing Garrett County (Legislative District 1); the member of the House of Delegates representing Garrett County (Legislative District 1A); and a member of the Garrett County Board of County Commissioners selected by the Garrett County Board of County Commissioners. Two members serve ex officio (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 5-216). The Secretary of Natural Resources and the Secretary of the Environment are ex officio, nonvoting members (Chapters 161 & 162, Acts of 2018).

PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION
The Parks and Recreation Commission originated as the Park Advisory Commission within the Department of Natural Resources in 1972. By 1983, the Commission had merged with the Forest Advisory Commission as the Forest and Park Advisory Commission. It reformed again as the Park Advisory Commission in 1988 (Chapter 178, Acts of 1988), and as the Parks and Recreation Commission in June 2022 (Chapter 39, Acts of 2022).

The Commission's purpose is to provide oversight of the Maryland Park Service.

Thirteen members constitute the Commission. Four are appointed by the Governor, three by the Senate President, and three by the House Speaker. The Chair of the Commission on Environmental Justice and Sustainable Communities appoints two members. Jointly, the Senate President and House Speaker choose the Chair (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 5-2A-03).

PORT OF DEPOSIT STATE HISTORICAL PARK STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Authorization for the Port of Deposit State Historical Park Stakeholder Advisory Committee was enacted into law in May 2023 (Chapter 602, Acts of 2023).

MARYLAND CONSERVATION CORPS

Authorized in 1982, the Maryland Conservation Corps was funded and began operation in 1984 (Chapter 297, Acts of 1982; Chapter 510, Acts of 1984). Formerly under the Tidewater Administration, the Corps was assigned to the Forest, Park and Wildlife Service in 1988. Since 1991, the Corps has been under the Maryland Park Service.

The Maryland Conservation Corps helps develop and maintain the State's natural resources, and works on projects that conserve or improve natural resources, or enhance and preserve environmentally important lands and waters. Part of this initiative was designed first to help restore the Chesapeake Bay. Participants may be sponsored by private industry. They must be physically fit and have the desire to work out-of-doors, possibly in remote locations.

Originally, the Corps provided Maryland youths, aged 17 to 24, with summer jobs lasting six to seven weeks. Later, through a federal grant in 1992, the Corps started a year-round program for young adults, aged 17 to 25. Forty year-round participants serve eleven months, receive an AmeriCorps living allowance, health-care benefits, and earn an AmeriCorps Education Award worth $5,815. Their on-the-job experience includes environmental education, construction, trail building, landscaping, wildfire fighting; and training in emergency medical response, and cold and swift water rescue. The next program begins in September 2019 and ends in early August 2020.

Annually, Maryland Conservation Corps members assess roughly 300 miles of Chesapeake watershed streams; plant thousands of trees and remove some 500 hazardous trees from public lands; maintain hundreds of miles of hiking trails; fight forest fires; work on dozens of park improvement projects; assist in ecological studies, contribute to the environmental education of Maryland school children; and provide other conservation and environmental services to government agencies and nonprofit organizations.

MARYLAND CONSERVATION JOBS CORPS

The Corps provides a six-week paid summer work experience in conservation crews for youths aged 14 to 17. As part of the Maryland Partnership for Children in Nature, these youths work on public lands and in Maryland's State parks (Executive Order 01.01.2008.06). Projects include carpentry, reforestation, invasive species removal, and trail maintenance and construction. Youth receive transportation, uniforms, meals, and an hourly wage. Work projects take place in Assateague, Gunpowder Falls, Patapsco Valley, and Susquehanna State Parks, as well as Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary.

In July 2009, the Corps graduated 202 youth. A few of their accomplishments included: 776 trees planted; 69 picnic tables built; four tons of trash removed from Maryland waterways; five acres of invasive species removed; 360 square feet of shoreline restored; and 6,380 yards of new trail constructed. In 2010, some 305 youth graduated from the Corps and, in 2011, some 318 youth graduated. Among their accomplishments: 200 feet of shoreline cleaned; 12.25 miles of new trails constructed; 252 large trees planted; 85 dangerous trees removed; two nature amphitheaters constructed; and one pirate-ship playground built.

Youth committed to a youth center in western Maryland may apply to the Corps for a six-week residential program.

Information about the Corps is available on the Department's website.

WILDLIFE & HERITAGE SERVICE

To control and assure continuing wildlife while affording optimum public recreational opportunities compatible with the welfare of wildlife resources, the Wildlife and Heritage Service applies wildlife management techniques. The Service conducts field surveys and research to evaluate public demands on wildlife resources, populations, harvesting parameters, and relevant environmental factors. It plants food and cover vegetation and constructs ponds (primarily waterfowl habitat). It also manages and protects birds, land-based reptiles and amphibians, and mammals. Under its protection are game and nongame species, and threatened and endangered wildlife.

The Service develops and manages forty-two State Wildlife Management Areas (public hunting & wildlife observation areas). Formed originally in 1919 as wildlife refugees, these areas now comprise some 105,204 acres. The Service also manages and administers recreational use of cooperative wildlife areas and some State park areas.

Through four major units the Service operates: Fiscal, Legislation, and Regulations; Game Management; Natural Heritage; and Regional Operations. The Division also is aided by several advisory bodies among which are the Fur Resources Advisory Committee; Migratory Game Bird Advisory Committee; Wildlife Advisory Commission; and Wild Turkey Advisory Committee.

MIGRATORY GAME BIRD ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Within the Department of Natural Resources, the Migratory Game Bird Advisory Committee began as the Duck Release Program Advisory Committee. It later was renamed as the Migratory Waterfowl Advisory Committee. In August 2002, it reformed as the Migratory Game Bird Advisory Committee.

The Committee advises the Department on waterfowl habitat conservation; expenditure of funds derived from the sale of State migratory waterfowl stamps; and policy, regulations, and legislation for the Duck Release Program.

Appointed by the Governor, the Committee consists of nine members (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 10-308.1).

WILDLIFE ADVISORY COMMISSION
The Wildlife Advisory Commission advises the Wildlife Program and the Secretary of Natural Resources on wildlife matters.

Appointed by the Governor to four-year terms, nine members make up the Commission. The Chair is chosen by the Commission (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 1-102).

Maryland Constitutional Offices & Agencies
Maryland Departments
Maryland Independent Agencies
Maryland Executive Commissions, Committees, Task Forces, & Advisory Boards
Maryland Universities & Colleges
Maryland Counties
Maryland Municipalities
Maryland at a Glance

Maryland Manual On-Line

Search the Manual
e-mail: mdmanual@maryland.gov

This web site is presented for reference purposes under the doctrine of fair use. When this material is used, in whole or in part, proper citation and credit must be attributed to the Maryland State Archives. PLEASE NOTE: The site may contain material from other sources which may be under copyright. Rights assessment, and full originating source citation, is the responsibility of the user. Tell Us What You Think About the Maryland State Archives Website! [ Archives' Home Page  ||  Maryland Manual On-Line  ||  Reference & Research ||  Search the Archives   ||  Education & Outreach  ||  Archives of Maryland Online ] Governor     General Assembly    Judiciary     Maryland.Gov

© Copyright October 02, 2024 Maryland State Archives