Maryland Wildlands are a group of public properties that are protected from logging or other activities in the state of Maryland.
The Maryland Wildlands Preservation System is the state's counterpart to the federal government's National Wilderness Preservation System. Protected properties are designated as state wildlands by the Maryland General Assembly. These wildlands are owned and managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Each tract overlaps with all or part of a state park, forest, wildlife management area, or other land unit of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
In 1971, the Maryland State Legislature passed the Wildlands Protection Act, which began the program of protecting publicly owned areas. As of December 2018, 38 areas had been designated as Maryland Wildlands. [1] representing 65,956 acres (266.91 km2) of Maryland Wildlands. [2]
The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington, D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between the two. The 908-square-mile (2,352 km2) Patuxent watershed had a rapidly growing population of 590,769 in 2000. It is the largest and longest river entirely within Maryland, and its watershed is the largest completely within the state.
The Potomac Highlands of West Virginia centers on five West Virginian counties in the upper Potomac River watershed in the western portion of the state's Eastern Panhandle, bordering Maryland and Virginia. Because of geographical proximity, similar topography and landscapes, and shared culture and history, the Potomac Highlands region also includes Pocahontas, Randolph, and Tucker counties, even though they are in the Monongahela River or New River watersheds and not that of the Potomac River.
Mattawoman Creek is a 30.0-mile-long (48.3 km) coastal-plain tributary to the tidal Potomac River with a mouth at Indian Head, Maryland, 20 miles (32 km) downstream of Washington, D.C. It comprises a 23-mile (37 km) river flowing through Prince George's and Charles counties and a 7-mile (11 km) tidal-freshwater estuary in Charles County. About three-fourths of its 94-square-mile (240 km2) watershed lies in Charles County, with the remainder in Prince George's County immediately to the north.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is a government agency in the state of Maryland charged with maintaining natural resources including state parks, public lands, state forests, state waterways, wildlife, and recreation areas. Its headquarters are in Annapolis.
Pocomoke River State Park is a public recreation area lying on both banks of the Pocomoke River between Snow Hill and Pocomoke City in Worcester County, Maryland. The state park comprises two areas within Pocomoke State Forest: Shad Landing on the south bank of the river and Milburn Landing on the north bank.
Pocomoke State Forest is a state forest of Maryland that lies on both banks of the Pocomoke River in Worcester County. The portion north of the Pocomoke lies between Dividing and Nassawango Creeks. The Pocomoke River Wildlife Management Area borders the southern portion of the forest.
The Pocomoke River Wildlife Management Area is a state-run nature reserve found on the southern banks of the Pocomoke River in Worcester County, Maryland.
Big Run State Park is a public recreation area located at the northern end of the Savage River Reservoir, an impoundment of the Savage River, in Garrett County, Maryland. The state park occupies 300 acres (120 ha) in Savage River State Forest and encompasses the confluence of Monroe Run and Big Run. Park activities include boating, fishing, hiking, picknicking, and camping.
Cedarville State Forest is a state forest and protected area in the state of Maryland, near Brandywine, Cedarville, and Waldorf. It offers trails, campsites, a fishing pond, hunting land, and picnic and recreation areas. Trails are available for hikers, bikers and horse riders.
Patuxent River State Park is a public recreation area located along the upper reaches of the Patuxent River in Howard and Montgomery counties in Maryland. The state park features hunting, fishing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and hiking on unsigned and untended trails. Planning for the park began in 1963, with the Maryland General Assembly funding land purchases in each year from 1964 to 1968. It is part of the Northeastern coastal forests ecoregion.
Savage River State Forest is located in the north and northeastern part of Garrett County, in the U.S. state of Maryland. The state forest has many waterways, including Savage River Reservoir, which was built in 1952 by the U.S. Army. The dam was built as an emergency water supply for Washington, D.C. Savage River State Forest is known for its hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking trails.
A Natural Environment Area (NEA) is a unit of the Park Service of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. These public lands are generally 1,000 acres (4 km2) or more in extent and are judged to constitute a "significant natural attraction or unique geological feature". Development within an NEA is generally confined to trails, interpretive facilities and limited support facilities.
The Islands of the Potomac Wildlife Management Area is a Wildlife Management Area (WMA) consisting of 30 islands in the Potomac River in Maryland along its border with the state of Virginia. It is administered by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Zekiah Swamp is part of the Potomac River basin in Charles County, Maryland in the United States. The swamp is 21 miles (34 km) of braided stream stretching the length of Charles County and is a tributary of the Potomac River. It sits at an elevation of three feet (0.91 m) and 450 acres (180 ha) of its southern end is protected as the Zekiah Swamp Natural Environment Area. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has the authority to purchase an additional 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) for the park. Charles County has moved to protect an additional 65,000 acres (26,000 ha) of the wetland. The headwaters of the swamp are protected as part of Cedarville State Forest. It was first accurately surveyed by John Henry Alexander, Maryland's official cartographer, in 1835, as "Allen's Fresh".
Elizabeth Kraus Hartline was an environmental activist who worked to preserve almost 40,000 acres in Maryland wildlands.