Governor O’Malley Announces Recreation And Land Acquisition Projects In Baltimore, Harford And Howard Counties

Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Governor O’Malley Announces Recreation And Land Acquisition Projects In Baltimore, Harford And Howard Counties
Annapolis, MD — Governor Martin O’Malley today announced Board of Public Works approval of land acquisitions and local park improvements in Baltimore, Harford and Howard Counties through Program Open Space.

“By preserving these environmentally sensitive lands and improving these playgrounds, we are providing present and future generations of Maryland families with places to play, explore and learn about our natural resources,” said Governor O’Malley.

Baltimore County will receive $4.5 million, including:

$682,200 to design and construct an artificial turf surfaced field at Reisterstown Regional Park,

$577,077 to reconstruct and expand the parking area at Hannah More Park in Reisterstown to provide increased parking access for the community,

$270,614 to acquire .4 acres of land to develop a much needed parking lot for the 22.3-acre Fullerton Park,

$833,191 to acquire the remainder of the Karll Trust Property to permanently protect 20 acres of forest and tidal wetlands off of Back River, a major tributary of the upper Chesapeake Bay,

$615,750 to renovate the existing athletic fields and ball diamonds at the 28.6-acre Banneker Community Center in Catonsville, and

$626,175 to design and construct a new artificial turf surfaced field and field lighting at Lansdowne High School, and

$937,500 to design and construct a new artificial turf field and field lighting for Honeygo Run Regional Park.

Harford County will receive $168,750, including:

$64,000 to acquire the two properties totaling 28 acres in Jarrettsville, which will be used for development of future outdoor and indoor recreation facilities for the Jarrettsville community,

$63,750 to develop a playground at the Abingdon Branch of the Harford County Public Library, and

$41,000 to provide new, safer playground equipment for Homestead and Plumtree Parks, two neighborhood parks in Bel Air.

Howard County will receive $3.3 million, including:

$401,774 to acquire 6 acres in Woodbine, protecting the riparian buffer for 1,650 feet along South Carroll Creek and adding to the sensitive land protected within the Patuxent River Greenway, an effort to preserve the river from the County’s Patuxent Basin Natural Resources Area in Laurel to the Patuxent River State Park in the west,

$909,666 to acquire the 20-acre Chaconas property on the South Branch Patapsco River in Mt. Airy, also within the Patapsco Greenway, which contains approximately 1,720 feet of river frontage, 10 acres of forest and a small quarter-acre pond and will be the future site of a trail system, canoe/kayak river access, and creation of a riparian forest buffer,

$393,162 to acquire 1.3 acres to be added to the existing 10-acre Troy Park, a planned recreational park in Elkridge, and

$1.6 million to acquire 35 acres adjacent to Patuxent River State Park in Clarksville, an additional property within the Patuxent River Greenway, to protect forest land and buffers along the Patuxent River and possibly to develop a community park in the future.
Since 2007, Governor O'Malley and the BPW preserved more than 21,881.76 acres of natural areas for public recreation and watershed and wildlife protection across Maryland. Since 1969, Program Open Space has provided funding for acquisition of 341,592.85 acres for open space and recreation areas. Most Maryland residents live within 15 minutes of an open space or recreational area funded by Program Open Space.

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

May 6, 2009
Contact: Megan Rhoads
410-260-8001
mrhoads@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