Parks and Recreation Archives

2026 Session: Recap and Wrap-Ups

Catch up on all of the latest outcomes of the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session with wrap-ups on important county-related bills in each policy area. Maryland’s 448th legislative session unfolded under significant fiscal pressure. Lawmakers closed the fiscal 2027 gap, preserved reserves, and fully funded principal commitments, such as the Blueprint, but did not resolve the larger structural deficits projected for the years ahead. That budget pressure shaped debates across nearly every policy area, from…

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April 17, 2026

Environment / MACo Testimony / Parks and Recreation

2026 End of Session Wrap-Up: Environment

The segments below provide a brief overview of MACo’s work in the area of environment policy in the 2026 General Assembly session. Counties remain on the front lines of environmental policy, tasked with implementing and enforcing ambitious statewide goals while balancing local realities. As such, MACo continues to advocate for practical, flexible solutions that empower counties to meet environmental objectives without imposing unworkable mandates or unfunded burdens. Maryland’s 448th legislative session unfolded under significant fiscal…

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April 15, 2026

County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / Environment / Parks and Recreation / Risk Management

Frederick Moves Forward on Green Infrastructure Plan

Frederick County is moving ahead with a long-range planning effort aimed at protecting natural resources, improving resilience, and shaping how growth and conservation work together over time. The County Council is set to begin reviewing the county’s Green Infrastructure Plan, a policy framework focused on preserving and connecting environmental, agricultural, and recreational assets across Frederick County. While the title may sound technical, the larger question behind the plan is straightforward: "How should the county protect…

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April 9, 2026

County News / Economic Development / Housing and Community Development / News You Can Use / Parks and Recreation

Baltimore County Expands Senior Services in Jacksonville

Baltimore County is making a significant investment in services for older adults, breaking ground on a new Jacksonville Senior Center designed to better meet the needs of its growing and active senior population. The new facility will replace the current center with a space that is three times larger, giving the county more room to expand programming, improve accessibility, and support a wider range of activities and services. County officials say the project was shaped…

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April 2, 2026

MACo Testimony / Parks and Recreation

Counties Flag Operational Challenges With Proposed Pesticide Notification Registry

On March 4, Legislative Services Assistant Charlotte Fleckenstein gave in person testimony on behalf of Karrington Anderson to the Environment and Transportation Committee in opposition to HB 1237 - Pesticide Applications - Subscription Contract Requirements and Registry Establishment. This bill establishes the Residential Pollinator Protection and Neighbor Notification Registry within the Department of Agriculture for individuals to receive advance notification of pesticide applications on neighboring properties. Counties already follow strict pesticide safety regulations and public…

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March 9, 2026

Board of Public Works / Environment / Parks and Recreation

Board of Public Works Approves More Than $125M for County Projects This Week

Three counties and Baltimore City received funding approvals from the Board of Public Works today, with money coming from agency grants, prior year capital budget allocations, and - the bulk of the distributions - from Program Open Space. In a regularly scheduled meeting of the Maryland Board of Public Works, $126M was approved for 10 projects across four jurisdictions. Baltimore City received almost all of that total for seven projects. Howard, Washington, and Wicomico all…

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January 7, 2026

Environment / Parks and Recreation

State Marks Major Milestone in 5M Trees Campaign

The state marked a major milestone by planting 1.5 million of its 5 million tree-planting goal. Maryland’s 5 Million Trees program has reached more than 1.5 million native trees planted, marking a major milestone and reflecting strong momentum toward reaching the state’s ambitious goal of planting 5 million trees by 2031. More than 555,330 trees were planted in Fiscal Year 2025, according to a new annual report prepared for the Maryland General Assembly. Plantings done…

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January 7, 2026

Environment / Parks and Recreation / Policy Deep Dive

Policy Deep Dive: A County’s Guide To Program Open Space

In Maryland, residents are rarely more than 15 minutes away from a park, trail, or outdoor recreational area made possible by Program Open Space (POS). From playgrounds to hiking trails and waterfront access points, this State-county partnership has built a network of outdoor spaces that define daily life for Marylanders. To date, Program Open Space has preserved hundreds of thousands of acres and built thousands of parks and conservation area projects, helping counties and municipal…

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November 19, 2025

County News / Environment / Health and Human Services / Parks and Recreation / Winter Conference

PFAS in Local Spaces: Hidden Chemicals, Real Challenges

As concern over PFAS grows nationwide, counties are taking a closer look at where these long-lasting chemicals are hiding, sometimes in the very parks and public spaces meant to promote community health and well-being. PFAS contamination has evolved from a distant environmental issue to an operational challenge for Maryland governments. Once prized for their durability and resistance to water and heat, PFAS now pose growing regulatory, financial, and public trust hurdles for counties tasked with…

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November 10, 2025

Health and Human Services / Parks and Recreation / Winter Conference

“Forever Chemicals” Leave a Lasting Mark at Bay Head Park

Once a Cold War missile site, Anne Arundel’s Bay Head Park still carries the lasting footprint of military-era “forever chemicals.” As reported in a recent Eye on Annapolis article, Bay Head Park in Anne Arundel County has a long and complex history, one that stretches from Cold War military operations to a modern-day environmental health challenge. Testing and research at the former Navy site introduced PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” into local soil and water, leaving…

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October 28, 2025