I attended the public meeting, opened by the Department of Natural Resource’s Secretary John Griffin, concerning the issue, “Is the location and construction of wind power facilities an appropriate use of Maryland’s public state park lands?”
We are talking about local state park land sites, in our communities being suggested by Gov. O’Malley’s administration for possible lease, to erect giant wind turbines. The public attendance was outstanding!
It was good to hear the same phrase quoted repeatedly and at random, from numerous individuals and representatives of local groups, “That the Maryland Department of Natural Resource’s mission and objectives are to preserve, protect, enhance and restore Maryland’s natural resources for the wise use and enjoyment of all citizens!”
This was said many, many times in a plea to the DNR. I came away from that meeting feeling hopeful that we were being heard! Now remembering the subject as being, “Is the location and construction of wind power facilities an appropriate use of state park lands?” I had second thoughts about us being heard when I read the Times-News coverage the next two days of this meeting. I was surprised and disappointed that there was no mention, no emphasis at all of the Department of Natural Resources mission and objective statement.
A statement that was so important to so many citizens and that was brought up so many times throughout this meeting and supported by at least 99% 0f those in attendance, to preserve, protect, enhance and restore Maryland’s natural resources for the wise use and enjoyment of all citizens.
After all these are state lands in question and the caretakers are the Department of Natural Resources staff and this is their mission and objective statement to “protect, preserve, enhance, and restore for the wise use and enjoyment of all citizens.” Was I the only one that heard this?
Maude LeMaster
Savage River
8 February 2008
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2008/02/10/where-was-mention-of-dnr-mission-statement/