MARYLAND
In 1999, Maryland began purchasing most of the former land holdings of the Chesapeake Forest Products Company; these holdings comprise 460 parcels of land that make up more than 58,000 acres in five lower Eastern Shore counties, including Caroline, Dorchester, Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester. Half of the land was bought by the state, and the other half was purchased through the Conservation Fund on behalf of the Richard King Mellon Foundation.

In December 2000, the Conservation Fund transferred the deeds on their 29,000 acres to Maryland on the condition that their sustainable forest management plan be implemented to serve as a national model for public/ private partnership, sustainable forestry and ecosystem management on public lands. The state took the Sustainable Forest Management Plan that covered the gifted half of the property and used it to develop a plan for the entire 58,000 acres. The work on the new plan began in the spring of 2002 with the implementation of a public planning process and was completed in January 2005.

"Maryland's purchase of these lands will protect a large part of the state's forested land from fragmentation due to development, and provide the state with revenue from recreational activities and timber production. These activities will add to both the state and local economies, while retaining the area's natural resources and heritage," said Bill Harvey, game bird section leader for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Wildlife and Heritage Service.

"These lands are also important habitat for many forest-dwelling birds and some threatened and endangered species."

Harvey went on to explain that the Chesapeake Forest Lands' associated wetlands will help to protect and improve Maryland's water quality. "They also provide Marylanders with many new public hunting opportunities."

Recently, the DNR completed its planning process for identifying public hunting opportunities on the newly acquired Chesapeake Forest Lands and determined that more than 14,000 acres will eventually be open for public hunting, including some waterfowling sites. In addition to some areas for public hunting, the DNR will continue to lease land to private hunt clubs. Opportunities to hunt waterfowl currently occur on the Lewis Tract in Dorchester County and along the shoreline of the Tom Tyler Complex in Wicomico County.

The Lewis Complex offers nearly 1,600 acres to hunters and is located off Henrys Crossroads and Griffith Neck Road adjacent to the Fishing Bay WMA. "Waterfowl hunting at the Lewis Complex is concentrated around Island Pond," Harvey said.

He explained that Island Pond, which feeds into Island Creek, is a shallow body of water with lots of submerged vegetation. This attracts good numbers of ducks and geese to the area and the Lewis Complex is a beautiful scenic area with tall loblolly pines. During the early season, the abundance of vegetation attracts good flights of wood ducks, teal and geese. Canada geese frequent the area

A boat ramp is located about a mile down Island Creek on Elliot Island Road, with a smaller launch for canoes and kayaks nearby. To reach the Lewis Complex from Vienna, take Elliott Island Road south to Henrys Cross Road and turn right. Proceed approximately 1.5 miles and park on the side of the road. Or continue on Henrys Crossroad until you come to a stop sign. Turn left onto Griffith's Neck Road and go about one-quarter mile and park on the left in the designated parking area.

Information for all of Maryland's Chesapeake Forest Lands, including maps and driving directions, is now available on the DNR's Web site at www.dnr.maryland.gov.

Questions regarding hunting on Chesapeake Forest Lands should be directed to the DNR's Forest Service at (410) 543-1888.