Baltimore Mayor Martin O?Malley attacked Gov. Robert Ehrlich?s record on land preservation and state park funding Thursday, saying Maryland residents are paying higher fees for park admissions and amenities, but getting less park maintenance and security in return.
Speaking to a handful of reporters and environmental stewards at North Point State Park in Baltimore County?s Edgemere, O?Malley criticized Ehrlich for maintaining some of the highest park-admissions rates along the coast while slashing park staff and police patrols. He pointed to an eroding pier and the absence of a guard at the park?s gate as examples.
The state has locked many visitors? centers or rely on volunteers to keep them open and put out “honor boxes” to collect fees.
“It?s a double whammy,” O?Malley said. “You pay more and getless.”
The state increased admission fees for the busiest parks by $1 and began charging for each person, rather than car load, in 2004, said Mike Slattery, assistant secretary of the Department of Natural Resources. Prices for some amenities, such as boat launches, were adjusted based on use and locale, he said, a move that coincided with an increase in visitation.
The parks are patrolled by more officers following park system?s merge with the natural police force, Slattery said. He acknowledged staff cuts, but said the system supported by contractual seasonal workers during the park?s busy seasons makes more sense.
He also said maintenance funding has nearly doubled since 2001.
O?Malley criticized Ehrlich for cutting open-space funding his first two terms in office ? a move Ehrlich has repeatedly defended as a sacrifice amid financial crisis ? and noted Ehrlich has permanently preserved less than a third of the number of acres protected by former Gov. Parris Glendening.
Ehrlich fully financed the state?s open space program the past two years and recently funded the conservation of an additional 45,000 acres, his campaign said.
“Difficult decisions had to be made as he inherited a $4 billion deficit,” campaign spokeswoman Shareese DeLeaver said. “The funding these past two years is the highest in Maryland history.”
DeLeaver questioned the city?s recent contract to lease about 50 acres of undeveloped land owned by the University of Baltimore to preserve as open space for the next 80 years. She called the move the city?s most significant preservation effort in seven years and an election-year stunt, and said one in five acres in Maryland is permanently protected.
