DNR To Hold Forestry And Parks Dedication At Garrett State Forest

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

DNR To Hold Forestry And Parks Dedication At Garrett State Forest
ANNAPOLIS— Officials from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources invite the general public to join them as they mark the end of the year-long Forestry and Parks Centennial commemoration with a plaque dedication at Garrett State Forest. The event will take place on Tuesday, April 10, at 2:00 p.m.

The event takes place at the location where Maryland’s scientific forest management began - “Maryland’s Cradle of Forestry.” In 1907, State Forester Fred W. Besley accepted 1,917 acres of forestland donated to the State of Maryland by philanthropists John and Robert Garrett. The Garrett brothers land bequest was contingent upon the state adopting a scientific forest management program in compliance with the federal 1906 Forestry Conservation Act.

Besley demonstrated pioneering forest management practices on the land that restored forest health and improved wildlife habitat. These practices were later adopted across the entire nation. Garrett State Forest, named in honor of the Garrett brothers, is Maryland’s oldest state forest.

After the unveiling of the plaque, forest manager John Denning will lead an interpretive walking tour of the Kindness Demonstration Area, highlighting forestry and wildlife practices.

Directions to the event are as follows:

Take Exit 14A off I-68. Get on RT 219 South to Oakland (26 miles)

Turn right on East Green Street (first right past the Oakland Fire Dept.)

Go one block on E. Green St. and go straight at traffic light.
(E. Green St. becomes E. Liberty Street on other side of light)

Travel 1.4 miles on E. Liberty St. and over Youghiogheny River Bridge.
(E. Liberty St. becomes Herrington Manor Rd. once you cross the bridge)

Take first left onto Fingerboard Rd. Travel 2.8 miles

Hutton area/Kindness Demonstration Area will be on your left. You will see a tent and other cars.

April 6, 2007
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