OFFICE OF SECRETARY

The Secretary of Natural Resources heads the Department. The Secretary is appointed by the Governor with Senate advice and consent.

The Secretary serves on the Governor's Executive Council; the Governor's Council on the Chesapeake Bay; the Governor's Executive Committee on Drunk and Drugged Driving; the Governor's Pesticide Council; and the Governor's Commission on Service. The Secretary also serves on the Chesapeake Bay Commission; the Chesapeake Bay Trust; the Maryland Greenways Commission; the Rural Legacy Board; the State Soil Conservation Committee; the Seafood Marketing Advisory Commission; the Scenic and Wild Rivers Review Board; the Patuxent River Commission; the Maryland Civil War Heritage Commission; the Interagency Economic Growth, Resource Protection, and Planning Committee; and the Interdepartmental Advisory Committee for Minority Affairs.

Under the Secretary, the work of the Department is organized through four main programs: Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Programs; Management Service; Public Lands; and Resource Management Service.

DEPUTY SECRETARY

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

CHESAPEAKE BAY & WATERSHED PROGRAMS

With the signing of the interstate Chesapeake Bay Agreement in 1987, State programs formed to protect and restore the Bay. In the Department of Natural Resources, the Chesapeake Bay Program Office was created under the Office of the Secretary. At the Department of the Environment, Bay activities began with the Chesapeake Bay and Special Projects Program, reorganized as the Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Administration in 1994. The Administration transferred in 1995 to the Department of Natural Resources and merged with the Chesapeake Bay Program Office to form Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Programs.

Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Programs leads State efforts to protect and restore Chesapeake Bay. It oversees four programs: the Chesapeake and Coastal Watershed Service; Education, Bay Policy, and Growth Management; the Regional Chesapeake Bay Program; and the Resource Assessment Service.

CHESAPEAKE & COASTAL WATERSHED SERVICE

The Service develops and helps implement watershed management strategies and projects to restore and protect the ecosystems of Chesapeake Bay and its watersheds. The Service coordinates departmental responsibilities under the Economic Growth, Resource Protection, and Planning Act (Chapter 437, Acts of 1992). The Service also provides staff support to the Maryland Greenways Commission.

The Service oversees five divisions: Coastal Zone Management; Geographic Information Services; Watershed Management and Analysis; Watershed Restoration; and Waterway Resources.

The Division is composed of five programs: Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve System - Maryland; Coastal Bays National Estuary; Coastal Zone Management; Public Involvement; and Tributary Strategies.

The Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve System - Maryland was created in accordance with the federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. The System protects representative estuarine systems, including valuable wetland habitat, 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.

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

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

The Tributary Strategies Program coordinates the development and implementation of nutrient reduction strategies for each of the Bay's major tributaries, as specified by the 1992 amendments to the Chesapeake Bay Agreement.

The Division includes two programs: Geographic Data Production, and Geographic Systems Management. Together, they provide the basic data for comprehensive watershed management, restoration, and enhancement of the Chesapeake Bay.

Through research and technical analysis, the Division evaluates water quality statewide, particularly trends that affect Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The Division also coordinates its work with the Office of the Governor, other State agencies, neighboring states, and the federal government.

To protect Chesapeake Bay and its watersheds, the Watershed Management and Analysis Division provides technical and analytical expertise to agencies and organizations concerned with watershed management and resource protection. The Division works through three programs: Ecological Processes; Watershed Analysis and Modeling; and Watershed Management and Planning.

The Division has three programs: Riparian and Wetland Restoration; Watershed Assessment and Targeting; and Watershed Evaluation.

For the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, the Division develops waterway management plans that allow for multipurpose use while maintaining resource protection goals. The Division administers a marine sewage pumpout program, petroleum control program, and the State's initiative to provide public access to waterways. The Division has two sections: Clean Waterway Practices; and Waterway Analysis.

EDUCATION, BAY POLICY, & GROWTH MANAGEMENT

The Growth Management Program was started in 1992 to coordinate the Department's responsibilities under the Economic Growth, Resource Protection and Planning Act (Chapter 437, Acts of 1992). The Program assists public and private interests to plan for and manage the adverse environmental impacts from land development, population growth and economic expansion.

As State agencies acquire land and undertake capital projects, the Program helps them develop and implement guidelines to protect environmentally sensitive areas. For local governments, the Program provides technical, educational and financial assistance to prepare comprehensive plans and development ordinances.

The Resource Economics Program was created in 1995. The Program applies economic principles to Chesapeake Bay restoration and protection programs. These principles include risk assessment, cost and benefits analysis, resource valuation, and regional impact evaluations. By demonstrating to business and developers the financial benefits of sustaining the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem, the Program induces voluntary participation rather than regulatory control to change adverse business practices that harm the Bay.

TRIBUTARY STRATEGIES

REGIONAL CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM

The Director chairs 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.

RESOURCE ASSESSMENT SERVICE

Origins of the Resource Assessment Service trace to 19th century legislation safeguarding clams, oysters, and fish. Many later duties stem from the Department of Tidewater Fisheries formed under the Board of Natural Resources in 1941 (Chapter 508, Acts of 1941). That department was reorganized as the Department of Chesapeake Bay Affairs in 1964 and 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 joined Chesapeake Bay and Watershed Programs in 1995. Later that year, it became the Resource Assessment Service.

The Service collects and interprets scientific data to support the restoration, protection, and management of Maryland's tidal and nontidal ecosystems. The Service oversees the work of four agencies: the Maryland Geological Survey; the Monitoring and Nontidal Assessment Division; the Power Plant Assessment Program; and the Tidewater Ecosystem Assessment Division.

The first State Geological Survey operated from 1834 to 1841. Fifty-five years later, the State Geological and Economic Survey was established in 1896 (Chapter 51, Acts of 1896). The work of the Survey was placed under the Department of Geology, Mines, and Water Resources of the Board of Natural Resources in 1941 (Chapter 508, Acts of 1941). In 1964, the Maryland Geological Survey superseded the Department of Geology, Mines, and Water Resources (Chapter 73, Acts of 1964). The Survey became part of the Department of Natural Resources in 1969 (Chapter 154, Acts of 1969). Within the Department, it was placed under Resource Management in 1992 and under the Resource Assessment Service in 1995.

The Survey researches the geology, water and mineral resources of the State so this knowledge can be applied to resolve practical problems related to environmental and natural resources. Publication of maps and technical reports are the primary means of relaying this information to the public, private industry, and local, State and federal government agencies. The Survey periodically publishes County Reports, County and Quadrangle Atlases, Reports of Investigations, Basic Data Reports, Bulletins, Educational Series, and Information Circulars. The Survey also publishes county topographic and geologic maps, a State geologic map, and other maps and charts.

The Survey researches and investigates coastal and estuarine geology related to erosion and sedimentation in the Chesapeake Bay and along the ocean shoreline. 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).

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 Discovery, is used for Bay research projects.

The Division is served by the Acid Deposition Advisory Committee.

The Program conducts environmental research, monitoring, and assessments to evaluate and minimize the environmental effects of power plants without imposing unreasonable costs on the production of electricity. The Program also assists in selecting sites for dredged materials and monitoring the environmental impact of these sites (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 3-301 through 3-307).

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

MANAGEMENT SERVICE

The Assistant Secretary for Management Service is responsible for four units: the Finance and Administrative Service; the Human Resource Service; Management Analysis and Auditing; and the Management Information Service.

PUBLIC LANDS

Public Lands began in 1992 as Public Lands and Forestry and was reorganized under its present name in 1995. Public Lands oversees four programs: the Maryland Environmental Trust; the State Forest and Park Service; the Land and Water Conservation Service; and the Natural Resources Police Force.

MARYLAND ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST

The Maryland Environmental Trust was 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 appreciation of the environment and continued interest in its care.

The Trust seeks donations of conservation easements to the State on certain lands to preserve the land from development. By the end of 1995, the Trust had secured 347 conservation easements on 49,533 acres.

The Trust consists of fifteen trustees. Three serve ex officio. The remaining twelve each year elect three of their own successors for four-year terms. The Trust appoints the Director (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 3-201 through 3-211).

STATE FOREST & PARK SERVICE

The State Forest and Park Service originated in 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). The Board was replaced by the Department of Forests and Parks under supervision of the Board of Natural Resources in 1941 (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 were 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.

The State Forest and Park Service administers and manages Maryland's State forests, parks, natural environmental areas, natural resource areas, and marinas. While providing recreation sites, the Service preserves natural resources and ensures multiple uses and a sustained yield of forest resources (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 5-101 through 5-219).

The Service is responsible for seven State forests, some forty State parks, five demonstration forests, six natural environment areas, and nine natural resource management areas. 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 recreational activity brochures are available at each park and from the Service.

Under the State Forest and Park Service is the Maryland Conservation Corps. Several advisory committees also aid the Service. Among these are the Scenic and Wild Rivers Review Board; Deep Creek Lake Advisory and Review Committee; Gunpowder Falls Local Advisory Board; and the Helen Avalynne Tawes Garden Advisory Board.

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

The Corps provides Maryland youths, aged 14 to 21, with summer jobs that help develop and maintain the State's natural resources. Corps projects conserve or improve natural resources or enhance and preserve environmentally important lands and waters. Participants may be sponsored by private industry and must be physically fit and have the desire to work out-of-doors, possibly in remote locations.

Through a federal grant in 1992, the Corps started a year-round program for persons aged 17 to 25. In 1995, fifty Corps members worked over 45,000 hours on conservation and Chesapeake Bay restoration, and 3,500 hours of community service. Their work completed the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenways Trail and removed over a ton of trash from the Herring Run watershed. They also planted 45,000 loblolly pine trees in Pocomoke River State Forest; surveyed submerged aquatic vegetation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and constructed and installed 100 wood duck and bat boxes.

LAND & WATER CONSERVATION SERVICE

The Engineering and Construction Service was formed as the Capital Development Program, a part of the Capital Programs Administration by 1984. In 1990, the Program was renamed Engineering Services. It became Engineering and Construction Services in 1991 under Public Lands, in 1992 under Public Lands and Forestry, and in 1995 again under Public Lands. The Engineering and Construction Service 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.

Program Open Space acquires outdoor recreation and open space areas for public use. 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 coordinates the acquisition of Department lands for the use of all departmental agencies (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 5-901 through 5-910). Program Open Space is assisted by the Rural Legacy Board.

RURAL LEGACY BOARD
In 1997, the Rural Legacy Program was formed within the Department of Natural Resources (Chapter 757, Acts of 1997). To establish a rural legacy for future generations, the Program seeks to protect natural, agricultural, forest and environmental resources. To avoid sprawl development and encourage land conservation, the Program helps local governments and land trusts to buy interests in real property in designated rural legacy areas.

The Rural Legacy Program is administered by the Rural Legacy Board. Created in 1997, the Board consists of the Secretary of Natural Resources, who serves as chair; the Secretary of Agriculture; and the Director of Planning (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 5-9A-01 through 5-9A-09).

The Board is assisted by the Rural Legacy Board Advisory Committee. The Committee is appointed by the Governor with Senate advice and consent.

Resource Planning originated as Land Planning Services under the Capital Programs Administration and was reorganized as Greenways and Resource Planning in 1991. Under the Land and Water Conservation Service, it was renamed Resource Planning in 1995.

Resource Planning provides planning, mapping, environmental review, and capital budget services to help the Department acquire, develop, and manage public lands and scenic rivers. Resource 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).

NATURAL RESOURCES POLICE FORCE

As Maryland's oldest State law enforcement agency and one of the oldest conservation law enforcement agencies in the country, the Natural Resources Police Force traces its origins to 1868, when the State Oyster Police Force was created to enforce oyster laws. As the State Fishery Force, it was 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 the State. 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. Then, it came under Public Lands.

Throughout the State, the Natural Resources Police Force has full police powers. It protects life and property, preserves the peace, prevents crime, detects and apprehends criminals, and safeguards individual rights.

The Force serves as the primary search and rescue agency on Maryland waters and in rural areas of the State. 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 enforces State laws and regulations on boating, commercial seafood harvesting and sport fishing, waterways pollution, and wildlife conservation, as well as general criminal law enforcement. 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. Maryland's three State vessels, the yacht Maryland Independence, the work boat H. J. Elser, and the skipjack Anna McGarvey, are operated and maintained by the Force.

Boating and hunting safety education programs are conducted by the Force. In addition, the Force operates the Natural Resources Police Academy at Matapeake, a central maintenance and supply facility, and an aviation unit to provide airborne surveillance and rescue services to enforcement programs and Department agencies (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 1-201 through 1-210).

The Force is organized into four bureaus: Administrative Services; Field Operations; Planning and Education; and Support Services.

The Bureau works through the Planning and Development Section, and two divisions: Outdoor Education, and Training.

SUPPORT SERVICES BUREAU

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SERVICE

The Resource Management Service was organized in 1992 as Resource Management and received its current name in 1995. The Assistant Secretary for the Resource Management Service is responsible for four agencies: the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Commission; the Fisheries Service; the Forest, Wildlife and Heritage Service; and the Licensing and Registration Service.

FISHERIES SERVICE

BOARD OF VISITORS
904 South Morris St.
Oxford, MD 21654

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 Cooperative Oxford Laboratory. 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. Located on the Tred Avon River, the Laboratory is a complex of laboratories and experimental ponds, with an extensive scientific library. Laboratory work focuses on diagnosing and monitoring diseases of shellfish and finfish. A unit of the National Marine Mammal Stranding Network also is based there.

Through standardized field surveys, the Division maintains a data base of the physical, chemical and biological properties of freshwater resources as a basis for environmental review and management planning. By analysis of this data base, consultation with the Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission, and communication with the angling public, the Division regulates Maryland freshwater fish resources to assure a pleasurable angling experience and preserve freshwater fish stock for future generations.

The Division's Fishery Management Program plants oyster shells for propagation, transplants seed oysters on public oyster bars, and monitors blue crab movement to gauge fluctuations in annual harvest. The Program studies young fish annually to determine reproductive success; monitors anadromous fish reproduction and harvests; and supports striped bass hatcheries for research and restoration. The Program also issues permits for aquaculture and scientific collections of fish and shellfish, investigates disease and parasite infestations, develops and analyzes statistics for management decisions, and formulates management plans. The Division strives to provide maximum opportunities for public fishing within existing habitat while preserving and enhancing natural resources within the State (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 4-101 through 4-1209).

The Division is served by several advisory committees, including the Sport Fisheries Advisory Commission, and the Tidal Fisheries Advisory Commission.

FOREST, WILDLIFE & HERITAGE SERVICE

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 was 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.

The Forest Service helps private landowners and municipal and county governments manage their forests and trees. 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.

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.

The Division develops and manages thirty-six State Wildlife Management Areas (public hunting areas). It also manages and administers recreational use of cooperative wildlife areas and some State park areas.

Under the Division are Heritage and Biodiversity Programs, and four programs: Game Management; Habitat; Land Management; and Outreach and Technical Services. The Division also is aided by several advisory bodies among which are the Captive Wildlife Advisory Committee; Fur Resources Advisory Committee; Migratory Waterfowl Advisory Committee; Wildlife Advisory Commission; and Wild Turkey Advisory Committee.

LICENSING & REGISTRATION SERVICE

The Licensing and Registration Service is responsible for assessing and collecting vessel excise taxes; issuing certificates of registration and title to vessels; issuing recreational fishing, commercial fishing and hunting licenses; and managing a network of sport license agents. The Service also works with Maryland boaters and the marine industry, promulgates boating and waterway regulations, and bienially produces the Guide for Cruising Maryland Waters. It operates regional service centers in Annapolis, Bel Air, Centreville, Cumberland, Prince Frederick, and Salisbury (Code Natural Resources Article, secs. 4-601 through 4-1043; 8-701 through 8-740; 10-301 through 10-1108).