As reported in the Cumberland Times-News, Garrett County’s commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to allow the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to purchase three properties in the county, each more than 100 acres.

John Braskey, former MACo President (1989) and past Garrett County Commissioner, is a land conservation specialist and currently oversees Western Land Conservation for the Department of Natural Resource’s Program Open Space.  According to Braskey, “All these properties would be open to the public and would increase hunting opportunities.”

As described in the article, the properties include 315 acres on Backbone Mountain, 181 acres on Spring Lick Road and 106 acres on Pea Patch Road.

Tentative agreements exist with Mountain Maryland Minerals and with Rounds, but the Kursvietis property is in the tentative acquisition stage, according to Braskey.  The Mountain Maryland Minerals property connects to Potomac State Forest; the other properties are located at Savage River State Forest.

A state law passed in the mid-1980s requires Garrett County commissioners’ approval of any state land acquisitions of more than 100 acres, according to Braskey.

For further information, see the full story from the Cumberland Times-News.