Maryland state park budget increase to prepare parks for next century – The Southern Maryland Chronicle

(The Middle Sq.) – With extra funding within the coming fiscal yr, Maryland state parks can be seeing enhancements that can embrace investments in infrastructure, personnel, and new websites.

The Free State will see a $70 funds for the fiscal yr 2023, a $13.7 million enhance over final yr’s $57.3 million, stated Gregg Bortz, media relations supervisor for the Maryland Division of Pure Sources.

“It is usually necessary to notice that Maryland parks have an extended legacy – some exceeding 100 years previous. This legacy funding will permit us to look after the lands entrusted with and prepared them for the following 100 years,” he informed The Middle Sq..

Bortz referred to as the extra funding “vital” for the parks system, noting it should fund greater than a dozen new positions over the following couple of years and supply for crucial upkeep and new initiatives and land acquisitions in numerous elements of the state.

Even earlier than the pandemic, Maryland parks noticed a rise in utilization, Bortz stated. COVID-19 ratcheted up the variety of guests.

“Visitation grew even stronger as households sought enjoyable and academic actions that have been protected in the course of the pandemic,” he stated. “When others closed their doorways, we opened our gates.”

Bortz praised state park workers for his or her dealing with of the pandemic and elevated visitation.

“Our devoted park workers are consummate professionals and instantly adopted pandemic protocols to maintain our workers and our guests protected whereas juggling the calls for of elevated visitation,” he stated. “With elevated visitation comes elevated put on and tear. Once more, the file funding we’re receiving will assist us deal with that.”

Parks with swimming or entry to water noticed significantly excessive visitors, Bortz added.

Not solely will folks profit from the funding with extra rangers, customer support workers, and new interpretive services, however animals and the pure areas may also see good points.

“For the pure sources we shield, we can enhance and improve our conservation measures and develop extra partnerships that assist us shield our wildlife, trails, and pure areas,” Bortz stated.

Invasive species management and panorama restoration will obtain funding consideration to assist with that, he stated.