Maryland Lt. Gov. visits Washington County parks for State Park Week

For the second yr of Maryland’s State Park Week, Lt. Gov. Boyd Ok. Rutherford made his strategy to Western Maryland to focus on a few parks within the space.

Particularly, Rutherford visited Woodmont Pure Sources Administration Space and South Mountain State Park. Earlier within the week, he joined Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio, secretary of the Maryland Division of Pure Sources, for the ribbon-cutting of the Sandy Level State Park Nature Heart.

Rutherford introduced the primary State Park Week in 2021 to acknowledge the position state parks and leisure areas play within the lives of Marylanders and park rangers who work to maintain leisure areas open, particularly through the pandemic. 

“Gov. (Larry) Hogan and Lt. Gov. (Boyd) Rutherford have actually been nationwide leaders within the outside recreation area, together with organising the Maryland Outside Recreation Financial Fee to have a look at financial improvement alternatives round outside recreation,” Haddaway-Riccio informed The Herald-Mail in an interview Wednesday. 

Hogan hinted in February that a few new parks coming to Western Maryland and the Jap Shore can be introduced throughout this yr’s State Park Week. Rutherford informed The Herald-Mail in an interview Wednesday that the brand new park within the Jap Sore can be introduced this week.

Nevertheless, the brand new park in Western Maryland will not be introduced till later in the summertime. As soon as it’s, that may make a complete of 76 state parks in Maryland.

“I’ve extra to hit,” Rutherford stated, referring to his pledge to go to each state park earlier than the tip of his time period.

Rutherford’s Travels

Rutherford stated beforehand that he began visiting Maryland state parks throughout his first time period as lieutenant governor in 2015, however did not actually assume to go to all the state parks till his second time period.

He stated, as of Wednesday, he had visited just a little over 60 state parks. He started the morning climbing via South Mountain State park to take a look at the Weverton Cliffs, a hike which he stated was grueling.

“It is one thing that we’ll be feeling for a few days,” Rutherford stated. “Nevertheless it was a beautiful view when you rise up there.”

He ended his tour in Western Maryland visiting the Woodmont Lodge on the Woodmont Pure Useful resource Administration Space in Hancock.

The lodge is stuffed with historical past, having been visited by six U.S. presidents, numerous senators and congressmen, Babe Ruth, Gene Tunney, Amos and Andy, and Richard Mellon.

Jacob Doyle is the park supervisor of the Fort Frederick State Park Advanced, which incorporates the Woodmont Pure Useful resource Administration Space. He stated on Wednesday that the park service was very excited to see Rutherford take curiosity in Maryland’s state parks.

“We at all times like to introduce folks to our state parks,” Doyle stated. “That is why I do what I do.”

Exponential Development

Doyle added that the park service has seen exponential progress in visitation because of the pandemic, which was “lots of new those that visited our parks that would not earlier than.”

Whereas parking has grow to be extra of a difficulty because of the pandemic, Rutherford stated that basic upkeep has been a difficulty for years.

“For a few years, significantly once we had extra monetary difficulties within the state, the parks weren’t getting the eye and the monetary sources that they actually deserve and may have,” he stated. 

Haddaway-Riccio added that there must be assurance that the state parks are being taken care of and that guests have a very good expertise on the state parks.

“The funding that the governor offered in his funds is mostly a historic 20-year excessive for us and can go a good distance in direction of ensuring we handle our parks,” she stated.