Governor O’Malley Announces BPW Approval Of Funding For A New Community Park In Howard County

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ANNAPOLIS, MD —  Today, Governor Martin O’Malley announced Board of Public Works (BPW) approval of Program Open Space (POS) funds for creation of a new community park in Howard County.

Acquisition of 38.68 wooded and meadow acres will not only protect stream buffers and wildlife habitat along the Patapsco River but also enable public access to the Patapsco River. Preservation of this Woodbine property extends the existing Patapsco Greenway. Once established, Howard County expects up to 250,000 visits to the new park annually.

In total the BPW approved funding for 13 local park and recreation areas and preservation of more than 754 acres of agricultural and forest land in 12 Counties today.

Since 1969, Program Open Space has provided funding for acquisition of 321,470 acres for open space and recreation areas. Most Maryland residents live within 15 minutes of an open space or recreational area funded by this program.

Chaired by Governor O’Malley, the Board of Public Works is also comprised of Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot. The Board is authorized by the General Assembly to approve major construction and consultant contracts, equipment purchases, property transactions and other procurement actions.

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November 28, 200777

Contact: Olivia Campbell 410-260-8016 office I 410-507-7525 cell ocampbell@dnr.state.md.us

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 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 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 12 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