Governor Awards More Than $956,000 To Garrett County During Visit To Swallow Falls State Park
Maryland Park Service staff also honored for valor

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OAKLAND — Today during a visit to Swallow Falls State Park, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., presented Garrett County with a check for $956,863. The check represents a payment to the county for 25 percent of revenues garnered from timber harvests and park day use and camping on state owned lands, specifically state forests and parks, during the 2005 fiscal year that ended in June. The Governor visited the park during his day-long tour of Western Maryland, meeting with Maryland Park Service staff, Garrett County officials and community leaders to discuss the importance of natural resources in that part of the state.

“Every time I visit Western Maryland, particularly one of our state forests or parks, I am reminded of the vital role that our natural resources play in the area’s economy and tourism,” said Governor Ehrlich. “I am pleased that today I was able to personally thank some of the fine people who are working to preserve and protect our wildlife, parks, water and forests in this majestic part of the state.”

Each Maryland county receives an annual payment from the State for 15 percent of the revenues garnered from the use of state lands. In two counties, Garrett and Allegany, more than 10 percent of the land is owned by the State and therefore their payment is 25 percent. The state owns slightly more than 85,000 acres of land in Garrett County.

In addition, during the visit Governor Ehrlich also presented Valor Awards to three Maryland Park Service staff. The awards read as follows:

• On Thursday, July 7, Ranger Al Preston (Hagerstown, Md.) and seasonal employee Matt Jones (Boonsboro, Md.) trekked six miles to find and rescue a man with a number of serious health problems who had reportedly been hiking the Appalachian Trail for two days and “was not doing well.” At 340 pounds, the hiker was dehydrated, nearing exhaustion and suffering from a leg injury. In his condition and with severe storms approaching, he would not have survived another night on the trail.
  
  
• On July 27, Seasonal Ranger Shannon Jenkins (Accident, Md.) was first on the scene when two teenage swimmers were caught up in the current and swept downstream in the rain swollen Youghiogheny River. With both victims suffering from hypothermia, Ranger Jenkins rendered aid – including maintaining an airway on an unconscious victim and treating her for shock – and assisted with moving the victims out of the canyon to an area accessible by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel.

The Maryland Park Service, a division of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), manages more than 2500 campsites, 131 cabins, encompassing more than 133,000 acres of land. Maryland’s 49 State Parks are a vital component in Maryland’s economy and quality of life, offering some of the best outdoor recreational opportunities in the state.

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August 22, 2005

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov