Preserving Maryland's Conservation Agency History

Fred Eskew Recreation Area Dedication: Rosaryville State Park, April 22, 2012

Conserving Memory: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Western Maryland,
By Colleen Esther Walter
Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts 2011

Maryland Names Forest In Honor Of Fred W. Besley
Besley was Maryland’s first State Forester. 
Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources Press Release. February 22, 2012

Historic Oyster Cannon On Display at the Annapolis Maritime Museum  
Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources Press Release. December 7, 2011.

Background

The Committee for Maryland Conservation History was originally formed in 2004 to prepare for the Maryland Forestry & Parks Centennial. Following the success of the Centennial activities, the Committee was expanded to include additional DNR units in its membership.

Mission

To preserve, promote and interpret the legacy of natural resource conservation in Maryland for the public’s benefit.

Strategies for achieving the mission include the following:

The Project identifies, collects and conserves artifacts, documents, photographs and other forms of historical information.

It plans and produces informative media in the forms of displays, literature, and activities that illuminate the subject.

It builds corporate identity within the Department of Natural Resources by promoting agency heritage within the Department.

It seeks particularly to reconnect the public, especially children, to the outdoors through educational and recreational activities that inspire a sense of place within a natural resources framework.

It accomplishes these last two strategies by demonstrating the goals and achievements of Maryland’s conservation agencies dating back at least to the mid-19th century, and shows the relevance of past efforts to the present-day need for natural resource conservation.

Click Here to Learn More About our Committee