Maryland Gov. wants to sell state park lands for profit

[PSU84]

THE SUN Baltimore, MD November 13, 2004

Portions of parks slated for sale
Md. natural resource officials designate thousands of acres; Ehrlich administration called for list;
To raise state revenue, land could go into private hands

The state Department of Natural Resources is considering the sale of thousands of acres in and around some of Maryland's most scenic parks and forestland, fulfilling Governor Robert Ehrlich's (R) directive to streamline government and raise money. Targeted parcels include land that appears attractive to developers, such as 16 acres inside Deep Creek Lake State Park in Garrett County, a popular tourist destination where property values are soaring. Other land that might be sold includes 151 acres in Patapsco Valley State Park, 33 acres on Chesapeake Bay islands off Baltimore County, and Harford County property near the state's second-highest waterfall.

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"We're both stunned and baffled by this list. We've never seen anything like it," said George Maurer, senior planner at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. "This is not just a matter of selling off the small oddball parcel here and there. “This list really creates the appearance of a list to create income or profit for the state, and we don't think land owned by the state should be treated as disposable income."

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Some of the land was purchased with federal funds, with tight restrictions attached. Approval from Washington would be needed before a sale, and federal law requires that some land be replaced with "equivalent" property. Sale of preservation land to counties could amount to a financial shell game, said Robert J. Barrett, Baltimore County's recreation and parks director.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.land13nov13,1,2467439.story

[arwalden]

1. Don't Blame Me... I Voted For Townsend.