Maryland Park Service Leadership Meeting Notes
From May 14, 2025
Virtual
Attendees: Angela Crenshaw, Rachel Temby, Jonas Williams, Kenneth Miller, Andrew Hangen, Mark Spurrier, Mary Ironside, Dana Paterra, and Sarah Milbourne
Director Angela Crenshaw opened the meeting at 9:03 am.
Tim Hamilton and Anthony Burrows reviewed the capacity closure notification process. This new process will be helpful in streamlining the notification process for park staff and visitors alike. Thank you to Dana Paterra for assisting with this process.
Director Update with Angela Crenshaw
● Discussed the Maryland Park Service (MPS) Fall Leadership Retreat. Ken Miller will take the lead on planning and start with holding some dates.
● Spring Managers Meeting is tomorrow, May 15, 2025
○ Hybrid (virtual and in-person)
○ Please note the slight agenda change, it mainly impacts Luke Terrell’s presentation about Gunpowder Falls State Park. Ken Miller and Mark Spurrier, please make sure there are some printed copies.
○ Mark Spurrier will introduce the speakers
○ Regional Managers who are in person, please stay afterwards so I can check in while we’re all together
● Supervisor Training and Engagement Program (STEP) Program – Deadline to apply is May 28thto Rob DiBiagio in Human Resources. Candidates do not need to be a supervisor as they have not turned people away. Information will be included in the Training Division blog and newsletter.
● MPS Hiring Plan – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will eliminate 151 vacant PINs by July 1st. We have 81 vacant PINs. As long as there is an action on them, they are safe. To fill our PINs we will 1) Do internal hiring (note the closing time will be 4 pm and not 11:59:59 PM because applicants can hand deliver applications to Human Resources) for State Park Ranger Manager I at Elk Neck and Cunningham Falls State Parks and Park Maintenance Program Supervisors for Freedman’s State Historical Park, Greenbrier State Park, Southern Maryland Recreational Complex, and Tuckahoe State Park, 2) normal hiring process have additional vacancies added to them, and 3) Mass hiring for entry-level positions of Park Ranger Trainee (Pocomoke River, Patapsco Valley, Sandy Point, Rocky Gap has two, Fair Hill, Elk Neck, Gunpowder, and Rocks/Susquehanna)
● Housing – Share all questions with me and Jonas to add to the MPS List of Questions. A Housing Town Hall is upcoming. Please share house log examples that are used in the Park Service as the Housing Resource Committee (HRC) will be updating them and they want to see what is currently used. Appraisals are continuing, the HRC will notify those
that are completed. Jonas Williams, Rachel Temby, and I can also give you an update on the status.
● U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Parks – The Natural Resources Police (NRP) has received guidance, the Office of the Secretary will review it and it will be shared with us. For now, do not put yourself in harms way
● Public Information Act (PIA) Reminder – To get confidentiality protection you must include the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), ask for advice, include in the subject and in the body of the email in all caps “CONFIDENTIAL - PRIVILEGED ATTORNEY CLIENT COMMUNICATION”
● Procurement – Small procurements are capped at $50,000. If the total income (vendor + Department) is more than $50,000 that it is not considered small and must be posted on eMaryland Marketplace (eMMA) and approved by the Board of Public Works (BPW).
● Communications – Please copy regional managers or the applicable member of Park Service Leadership on all communications to their regions/operations so that they can be aware of decisions being made and they can be informed.
● Social Media – Publicize the interesting and fun events we do so that we have positive news in the public dialogue.
● Legislation House Bill 717 (Public Lands Bill) – Will do the following: ○ Create a foundation to raise funds for all the lands we manage
○ The Department can request 1 PIN for every 400 acres we acquire. They are not mandated to give it to but we must articulate our reasons
○ If insufficient funds are in our operating budget then money can be transferred from stateside
○ Two positions for the Land and Property Management Team under Land Acquisition and Planning
● New Properties Updates
○ Port of Deposit State Historical Park - The developer will accept our revised northern property line so we are at 105-110 acres. The line will be flagged soon. It was agreed that the Forested Conservation Area has no easement on it. The Department will draft a letter saying we will miss the deadline of acquisition of June 1st and why. Bainbridge Development Corporation will sign the
environmental memorandum of understanding.
○ Graham Property/Wetipquin Creek State Park – The donation forms are both executed. Department and Park Service Leadership met with legislatures to discuss it, answer questions, and dispel myths. The Office of Communications is working to get good information.
○ Gwynns Falls - Focus Groups are next in the process, they will be virtual and in real life in May. In June there will be a site visit.
○ The Simkins Property at Patapsco Valley State Park - OAG is reviewing the contract and should wrap up soon.
● The Department and State House drafted a response to a Bloomberg request about National Park sites being transferred to the States. The press release was shared with leadership and will be shared with the field.
● Performance Evaluation Program (PEP) season is upcoming – Be honest and accurate.
● DBM Conversations – The conversations are continuing with regards to the Maintenance Series and Ranger series. I am proud of the improved relationship with our analyst and Human Resources.
● If you have a moment, please review the State Parks Week Article written by Jonas in the May issue of the DNR Insider. I suggest reading the DNR Insider as this is your Department communicating with you.
● DNR Town Halls – Thank you for hosting the DNR Town Halls at Kings Landing, Sideling Hill Creek, Sandy Point, and the Talbot County Recreation Center. Thank you to the regionals for the welcomes and intros, I think they are important and I appreciate you all doing them and covering for each other.
● Parks are encouraged to celebrate Pride in June. Please share your events with Trystan Sill. MPS Pride swag is forthcoming.
● We hope to celebrate Maryland’s First Dog by making him a Bark Ranger for his birthday. Please share bark ranger swag with your regionals.
Deputy Director Update with Rachel Temby
● Park operational reductions have been presented to DNR Leadership for approval, and development of messaging and public notification plan is being coordinated with the Office of Communications. A general message will go out to address adjustments being made statewide in accordance with operating budget reductions and the impacts on parks. Then, park specific alerts/announcements will be developed for park websites and physical signs to ensure information reaches the appropriate group of visitors. Please elevate any pressing communication needs through your chain to be prioritized. Day Use Reservation Communications plan was shared earlier this week.
● Ongoing coordination efforts with NRP were discussed. MPS Hot Spots, Park Emergency Response Plans, Org Charts, Signature Events, and Visitation Data have all been shared; updated MPS Contact List with radio identifiers will be distributed shortly. Park teams are encouraged to interact frequently with NRP counterparts as visitation picks up, and provide feedback on NRP support through Regional Managers.
● Regular lease coordination meetings have been scheduled with the new Land and Property Management Program Director and progress is being made on the backlog of outstanding issues. There is great interest and energy in developing standard, replicable processes to expedite work flow and ensure consistency. Park Management teams should be thoughtful and intentional in considering ‘next best use’ of any property with an expiring lease and communicate property goals through Regional Manager.
● Potential locations and dean staff for the 2026 Ranger School were discussed. ● MPS is working to implement new Heat Stress Plans in the coming weeks. The training Division has circulated a template for managers to tailor to each park unit and will begin rolling out training as soon as possible.
● Staff are reminded to share any Science Week ideas before the end of the month. ● MPS and NRP continue to coordinate a suicide prevention campaign in state parks. September is Suicide Awareness Month. Regional Managers are asked to identify any locations within their region where signage may be appropriate, and share any ‘Out of
the Darkness’ walks or other Suicide Awareness and Prevention events that may already be planned to be hosted in parks.
● We are working with Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) to post Fish Consumption Advisories at locations within state parks where subsistence fishing is common. The signs will have a QR code that connects to an MDE-maintained list of all active advisories and status of species and waterway sampling. They will also provide an MDE contact phone number for any questions. Park staff are asked to propose locations within their parks for potential posting to ensure anglers have access to information regarding safe levels of consumption.
Program Planning with Jonas Williams
● A special thank you to all parks and staff who hosted the Secretary’s team for State Parks Week. Everyone enjoyed their visits and time with the Park Service staff!
Leases
● Parks should expect to hear from Lisa LaCourse, the new Associate Director of Land & Property Management (LPM) within Land Acquisition and Planning. Her focus is primarily on leases, new and expiring.
● As leases expire or run out of extension options, please treat them as new leases requiring review through the Project Information Form process. If the lease has extension options that we would like to use, please contact the Planning Division to determine our next steps.
Cultural/Historic Resources Team
● The Cultural and Historic Resource team will start working on a Maryland Park Service Cultural and Historic Resource landing page for our websites. The plan is to have the Curatorship page, Historic Weapons guidelines, and links to park history pages in one place. This will be part of a larger Planning Division website overhaul.
● The Planning Team is working on a presentation for Department Leadership that will outline different options for managing historic structures (e.g., Gittings-Baldwin, Mount Airy, etc.), including different types of curatorships and/or adopting National Park Service “mothballing” policies. This will hopefully streamline decision-making processes regarding our many historic sites and structures.
Interpretation
● 25 in 2025 has gotten off to a good start, with photo submissions already coming in a few days after launch. Melissa Acuti and DNR Communications are currently working on a flyer for distribution for bulletin boards and park offices.
Administration with Kenneth Miller
● We are approaching fiscal year 2025 closeout. We ask that everyone keep their projections up to date to help Dana St Claire forecast the statewide budget. Please note that all purchase orders will be due June 20th. St Clair will provide a list of June deadlines towards the end of May.
● Thank you to Tim Hamilton for working on the communication aspects of the day use reservation system. A frequently asked question, website updates, gatehouse handout, press release, and social media notifications have all been developed. Items will be posted online and shared once the Spanish translation is completed.
Regional Reports
North Central Region Report with Andrew Hangen
● Turkey Point Light Station Inc. has requested the placement of a memorial on the bell tower at Elk Neck State Park.
● There was a discussion on the next steps for night fishing changes at Susquehanna State Park. We will be working with the Fishing and Boating Service to continue stakeholder outreach.
● A productive meeting was held at the Lyle property at Susquehanna State Park to come up with next steps to preserve this property. The historic team will be researching the costs associated with several historic preservation options. A regional work day will be scheduled to conduct maintenance of the property.
● The team at Fair HIll has made significant progress on the race track. Fair Hill International has been using horses recently to test the track with hopes of future events.
South Central Region Report with Mark Spurrier
● Several parks in the region have had requests from local schools to release fish raised as part of the “Trout in the Classroom” program prompting review questions. It was suggested that we work with the Fisheries department to see if they can take the lead on organizing these activities and coordinating with parks instead of the individual teachers.
● Assessing trees reported as hazardous by adjacent private property owners is an ongoing issue in the region. There was discussion on what the process is for handling these issues. It was reiterated that each complaint may need to be addressed on a case by case basis depending on the severity.
● The permanent closing and removal of the Jones Road parking lot was discussed. ● There were questions about the employee call-out expectations related to the Emergency Essential status and lease requirements in the new housing policy. These questions will be further reviewed by Leadership and will be forwarded to the Housing Committee for consideration.
Southern Region Report with Mary Ironside
● An update on the marina fuel situation at Sandy Point was shared.
● The plan for the restructuring of logistical involvement in the bass tournaments at Smallwood began successfully. The transition will continue through this season. ● The day-use bathrooms in the Point Lookout day-use area are currently off-line due to communication issues. Twelve portable toilets are in place.
● The large encroachment at Rosaryville State Park is being reviewed with project review and discussions are being initiated with the OAG to explore options.
Eastern Region Report with Dana Paterra
● MPS Planning and Team Tubman joined LAP, Mr. Graham, and his granddaughter Inga on a site visit to the Graham property/Wetipquin Creek State Park. The discussions were enlightening and productive and allowed for progress towards a more detailed vision for the park. The following day DNR met with elected officials and administrators at the state and local levels to provide background information and share more details about the concept for this passive park.
● Reimbursement for food purchases for staff that work special events is no longer allowed. Teams should work with Friends groups or find other ways to cover the cost of meals as reimbursement for food may very well be denied.
● The Pocomoke pool only has to pass inspection from the health department on Monday in order to open as scheduled Memorial Day Weekend. Kudos to the Pocomoke Team and E&C for reaching the finish line on this challenging, multi-year project.
● A number of important projects are moving forward at Assateague SP including the grinder pump for Headquarters and the pumps for the campground water. Although the day use bathhouse project is running behind schedule, they continue to make good progress.
● The State Park Ranger Manager II position at Tubman was advertised yesterday! The Superintendent for the NPS is retiring on May 31st with no word on whether the position will be filled or a point of contact for NPS after that date at this point although communications continue with Superintendent Mitchell.
Western Region Report with Sarah Milbourne
● Big Run State Park experienced damage to the pit toilets during the recent major rain and flooding event in Allegany County. Floodwaters also scattered debris across roadways and caused damage to ditches at Dans Mountain and the road into Savage Highlands. Manager Thomas reports that the team expects to be able to repair the toilets and road, restore the ditches, and clear the debris.
● We are excited to welcome Cristina Sanders to the Lake Management Team. One of her first tasks will be to explore how to digitize the Lake permits. Ken Miller will help shepherd the process with IT.
● The upcoming contract expiration at Sideling Hill Creek State Park Baker Building was discussed. Director Crenshaw will work with Executive Team to discuss options. ● The need for training on the use of Stokes Baskets and ensuring appropriate safety and procedural coverage was discussed. Regional Manager Milbourne will coordinate training sessions for staff across the western region parks to address this need. ● Regional Manager Milbourne will work to get Savage Highlands State Park website online.
● There will be a cleaning day at Old South Mountain Inn on June 3rd and 4th. Interested parties should reach out to Rangers Steve Robertson and Jeremiah Corbin. ● The topic of electric motor use on State lake impoundments was discussed, particularly in light of advancements in the technology. Regional Manager Milbourne will share the recommendations developed through meetings with Fisheries and NRP to support the Office of Outdoor Recreation in moving forward with a coordinated plan to address the emerging need.
● Updates at Wills Mountain and the next step in that process were discussed. ● Dredging at Herrington Manor was discussed.
● Scales & Tales will receive a budget and PCA Code. Dana St. Clair will create and follow up with Regional Manager Milbourne.
Conservation Corps with Rachel Temby
● Maryland Conservation Corps (MCC)/Americorps Updates - The program has received tremendous support from our MPS team, colleagues across the Department, partner organizations, and the general public. A special thank you to all who have reached out to members and staff to assist. The Governor's Office is behind DNR on supporting MCC, and we have received offers to help the program. We are actively working to develop opportunities to reactivate members for service through August, and make whole the affected park operations. We are also identifying alternative program models for next year.
○ Members have been attending Departmental Town Halls, volunteering at parks and partner sites, participating in member support calls facilitated by the Conservation Corps team & Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism, engaging in media opportunities, and assisting with spring project this week. An MCC career fair & field day is scheduled for May 28th Gunpowder Falls State Park’s Hammerman Area.
○ Members in DNR housing will be permitted to stay through August.
● The VCC members continue their service and have been busy constructing bridges in western Maryland with Trail Planner Dan Hudson and assisting with Maintenance School.
Meeting was adjourned at 2:32 pm.
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