379 



Six activities, DMF, DW, DFG, DFP, DLE, DCS, have well-de- 

 fined areas of cognizance and cooperate through cordinating com- 

 mittees — the Marine Coordinating Committee on Coastal Wetlands 

 and the Recreation Advisory Council within the Department of Na- 

 tural Resources. The latter council is composed of representatives of all 

 State agencies and other recreation-oriented groups. On an overview 

 basis, the Division of Conservation Services is the authority respon- 

 sible for the act which governs keeping coastal areas free from pollu- 

 tion and an act relative to removal, filling, and dredging in coastal 

 waters. The Division of Waterways, Division of Sanitary Engineer- 

 ing, and the Division of Water Pollution Control act in consort to 

 complete the program. The Division of Marine Fisheries is responsible 

 for identifying what measures must be taken to protect the fisheries 

 but they do not regulate or enforce such measures — the Division of 

 Conservation Services and its colleagues ostensibly do. 



MARYLAND 



The State of Maryland is a political entity which encompasses a 

 portion of a major estuarine area — the Chesapeake Bay. Maryland also 

 can be considered as being representative of a State having an urban/ 

 rural population mixture with a moderate level of industry and 

 development. 



Until July 1969 the Board of Natural Resources acted as the coordi- 

 nating agency for all public and private activities relating to the 

 natural resources of the State of Maryland. At that time the Board 

 was disbanded, and Maryland House bill 1311 (approved April 1969) 

 created the Department of Natural Resources as a principal depart- 

 ment of the State government to be responsible for carrying out poli- 

 cies in the area of natural resources research and development, manage- 

 ment, and administration. This department is responsible for the 

 coordination and direction of comprehensive planning in the area of 

 natural resources. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is 

 composed of the previously existing Department of Chesapeake Bay 

 Affairs, the Department of Game and Inland Fish, Department of 

 Forests and Parks, Maryland Geological Survey, Department of Water 

 Resources plus memberships in numerous commissions, committees, 

 and groups of which the State is a member. 



The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has not developed 

 to its full potential in assuming its broad responsibilities of coordinat- 

 ing all duties related to natural resources which exist in other agencies 

 in the State. Detailed description of the authorized scope of the depart- 

 ment of natural resources is included in the Maryland House bill No. 

 1311. Therefore, this department's scope has been briefly described on 

 the basis of the bill and the following discussion is concerned with 

 the prior and continuously existing activities of its estuarine-related 

 departments 



The department of Chesapeake Bay affairs has the broad respon- 

 sibility for planning for the development and management of the 

 Chesapeake Baj^ and other tidal waters including protection and 

 development of its resources. 



The Department of Game and Inland Fish is indirectly involved in 

 estuarine management issuing hunting, fishing, and other licenses and 

 studying underwater problems affecting wildlife. 



The Department of Forests and Parks is indirectly involved in the 

 management or control of estuarine areas in that it promotes good 



