Maryland’s Forests and Parks: A Century of Progress

For 100 years, the Maryland State Forests and Parks Services have maintained and provided public access to Maryland’s most beautiful and historic places. These include Assateague, Elk Neck, the first completed Washington Monument, Fort Frederick, Green Ridge, and Swallow Falls. Maryland’s Forests and Parks: A Century of Progress captures the development of the state’s forests and parks from their inception in 1906 to the present day. Take a journey with first state forester Fred W. Besley: witness his pioneering efforts to protect Maryland’s forests, promote outdoor recreation, and establish the state’s earliest public lands along the Patapsco River and throughout Western Maryland. Experience subsequent endeavors of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Department of Forests and Parks to build on Besley’s examples to create one of the finest state park and forest systems in the nation. Finally explore the efforts of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to fulfill the mission envisioned by Besley a century ago: to protect, enhance, and restore Maryland’s natural resources for the wise use and enjoyment of all citizens.