DNR Completes Renovations At The Lapidum Boating Facility In Susquehanna State Park

Havre de Grace, Md. (April 18, 2011) - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has finished renovations of the Lapidum Boating Facility in Susquehanna State Park. The project was a partnership effort between DNR, the Department of General Services and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

“The Lapidum Boating Facility is an integral part of the statewide recreational and local boating community,” said Robert Gaudette, Director of the DNR’s Boating Services Unit. “The inter-departmental teamwork that helped complete this project shows DNR’s dedication to safe, high-quality boating access for everyone,”

This facility provides direct access to the Susquehanna River downstream of the Conowingo Dam, an area renowned for fishing, boating, hunting and general recreation for the public. The renovations included replacing the deteriorated boarding pier with a state-of-the-art floating dock, improving both the safety and ease of use of the facility at the varying water levels experienced at Lapidum. The stone breakwater was also renovated to provide essential protection from storms and wave action and the parking area was expanded to accommodate more users due to high demand. The new and improved facility is also ADA compliant.

The total cost of the construction phase was $435,000, with funds coming from both state and federal sources. State funding was provided through a DNR Waterway Improvement Fund grant of $135,000. Revenue for the fund comes from the one-time 5 percent excise tax paid when a boat is purchased and titled in the State of Maryland. The Waterway Improvement Fund was created in 1966 to support the development, use, and enjoyment of all waters in Maryland for the benefit of the general boating public.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service provided $300,000 through the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Program which is a user pay, user benefit grant program funded by federal excise tax on fishing equipment and fuel tax from motor boats. Benefits from the taxes collected are passed on to the boaters and anglers through the funding of public recreational motor boat improvements such as those at Lapidum.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 461,000 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