HB 717

Enacted

Natural Resources - Public Lands - Acquisition, Staffing, Operations, and Funding

Sponsor: Chair, Environment and Transportation CommitteeCommittee: Environment and TransportationSubject: Natural Resources - GenerallyStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 443 (as of Dec 1, 2025)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Altering provisions of law regarding the acquisition of real property by the Department of Natural Resources; establishing a Land and Property Management Program in the Department to process certain transactions; authorizing the Department and the Natural Resources Police to establish affiliated foundations; authorizing the Governor to transfer certain Program Open Space funds to the Department under certain circumstances; altering and repealing certain provisions of law regarding the use of Program Open Space local funding; etc.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (0)

MGA witness list

FAV 10FavorableFWA 12Favorable with amendmentsUNF 3UnfavorableINFO 2Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Breeding, Travis	Caroline County Commissioners Office	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Casey, Tim	Friends of Maryland State Parks 501 (c) 3	Written (PDF)
FAV	Miller, Steve	MACPRA Maryland Association of County Park and Recreation Administrators	Written (PDF)
FAV	Anderson, Karrington	Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Kurtz, Josh	Maryland Department of Natural Resources	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Cohen, Dana	Preservation Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Redding, Nicholaslobbyist	Preservation Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Chair, Environment and Transportation Committee, Chair, Environment and Transportation Committee	Individual	Oral
FAV	Chair, Environment and Transportation Committee, Chair, Environment and Transportation Committee	Individual	Oral
FAV	Kerr, Cait	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Bailey Thupari, Angelica	Maryland Municipal League	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Wieland, Tom	Ritchie Pharmacy , Brooklyn Park, Md.	Position only
UNF	Wieland, Tom	Ritchie Pharmacy , Brooklyn Park, Md.	Written (PDF)
FWA	Conway, Mark	Chesapeake Conservancy	Written (PDF)
FWA	Bailey, Owen	Eastern Shore Land Conservancy	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Kline, Steve	Forever MD	Oral
FWA	Kirkwood, Kristin	Forever Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Leys, Jessica	MACPRA	Oral
FWA	Miller, Steve	MACPRA Maryland Association of County Park and Recreation Administrators	Written (PDF)
FWA	Butchko, Dominic	Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Kurtz, Josh	Maryland Department of Natural Resources	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Crouch, Bill	The Conservation Fund	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Dietz, Michellelobbyist	The Nature Conservancy	Written (PDF)
FWA	Griffith, Anna	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
FWA	Jones, Annlobbyist	Individual	Oral + Written (PDF)
INFO	Thompson, Kate	Individual	Written (PDF)
INFO	Thompson, Kate	Individual	Written (PDF)