Maryland Park Service Leadership Meeting Notes
From August 12, 2026
Virtual
Attendees: Angela Crenshaw, Rachel Temby, Jonas Williams, Kenneth Miller, Rebecca Jones, Andrew Hangen, Mark Spurrier, Mary Ironside, Dana Paterra, and Sarah Milbourne
Director Angela Crenshaw opened the meeting at 9:03 am.
Director Update with Angela Crenshaw
Employee Field Day
Date: October 28th
Location: Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks facility, Fort Smallwood Park, 9500 Fort Smallwood Road, Pasadena, MD 21122
The headquarters team will lead the planning of this event with assistance from the Southern Region
Fall Managers Meeting - Please ask your team for topics for Natural Resources Police to discuss.
The MPS Leadership Retreat in September on Smith Island was discussed
DNR Leadership Notes from August 11, 2026
Secretary Kurtz - Thanks for doing PEPs and if necessary, PIPs; it's difficult and the process is arduous but that’s the best way to get high functioning teams.
Shara Alpert - Please start documentation of bad behavior early, even if there is not a PIP. If there are any questions, please let me know.
The Leadership Team Assessment is ongoing.
Every Unit/Director/Director’s Representative gave updates in a roundtable:
Maryland Environmental Trust - Losing a program manager
Critical Area Commission - Working on climate resilience and climate equity in COMAR
Resource and Assessment Service - They have a full set of Ai derived phytoplankton information for harmful algal blooms and a drone for bathymetry, LiDAR and InfraRed etc. They are working with UMCES.
Legislative and Constituent Services - One regular point of contact per unit, there will be a listserv similar to the legislative list. She is working on training in October and November and that will be required for the contact.
Watershed and Coastal - Grants gateway is open
Bay Czar - Management strategies for bay outcomes
Aquatics with Kate C. - Oyster restoration with fisheries
Capital Projects - Critical maintenance with PJs, revising prioritization criteria that’s more objective. Will rescore everything to create a new list. Each property manager and unit manager must ask for things because we need the full list across the agency. Participate and engage and ask for what you need, not just what you might get. First time requesting additional funding. Please ask. If already in the backlog, we know it's there, don’t resubmit.
Land Acquisition and Planning - Finalizing LPRP that’s done every 5 years, the update is now every 10 years. Discuss keeping it on a 5-year cycle or move to 10. Eastern Region Survey administrator is open, please apply.
Wildlife and Heritage - Our busy season for fall and winter hunting. BOW workshop has been going on for over 30 years and hosted 100 women recently. Most of your staff are on the committee and assist, there are 30 plus classes, and they sign up for 4.
Lands with Paul P. - The importance of personnel hiring. Thanks to Human Resources and the Office of the Attorney General.
Forestry - Reviewing regs that are effective July 1, 1:1 restoration of forests. Biannual review in local jurisdictions. One engine in MI and now MT. There are no resources available for wildfire response. The nursery is transitioning and still has seedlings.
The Office of the Attorney General - 2/3s of the team has turned over. Peggy is new in real estate. Improve efficiencies and clarity on who to go to for what, Shara will keep routing things. Every program has a lead. Finalize process for Delegations of Authority soon. Fully staffed and helping as much as we can.
Natural Resources Police - Extremely busy. Evaluated their personnel and are looking at ways to re-allocate staff and cover shifts. They are doing an activity based on budgeting and looking at calls and putting people in the right place. In October will implement a 10-hour shift in the West. If it goes well, they will do it statewide in 2027.
Fisheries - 100 free fishing trips on the bay for blue catfish. Outfitters are arranging trips and invoicing the Department. Finfish hatcheries are aging and working on their future plans. Raised fees and that money will invest in infrastructure improvements. Albert Powell has a major project. They have some vacancies.
Auditing - sending out the annual insurance survey and it needs to be correct for coverage and rates. Inventory is coming up, looking at each unit doing their own inventory every year and will send out the sheets. Start in eQuip. Internal audit will make sure inventory is taking place.
Human Resources - Eliminating HR Contacts for each unit and hiring generalists. People are struggling with losing control and change. Fisheries is doing a good job!
Office of Outdoor Recreation - Highlighting the Outdoor Recreation Summit, 3rd year, highlight our work and engage. Conversations around the economics of birding. Indigenous communities. Discounts are available for DNR for single and both day registrations.
Communications and Marketing - Redesigning webpages with Anthony and will present at Leadership on how it’s going and the entire state is switching to a different platform. New media training for staff and can take on their own and will help with comfort with reporters.
Office of the Secretary
Indigenous team at Piscataway Park and they are making great changes. Huge shoutout to parks and working with tribes and navigating fun dynamics. Tapped by Commerce to join initiatives and workgroups.
Working with Appointments so no liaison right now, working on the time and hope to onboard a new person in August.
Tawes has two elevators that are not operational, parts need to be custom made due to their age. Parts are done and delivered on 8/11 and installed 8/12 and should be good by 8/18.
Fiscal - In position reconciliation and working on budget targets for FY28. Closeout is done and now working on schedule reporting.
Licensing and Registration - 1,000 watermen have renewed online with minor issues.
Maryland Park Service
Six Parks in 2026
Cunningham Falls State Park - Catoctin Furnace Cemetery in February - Done, a success!
Freedman’s State Park in May - Done, a beautiful success!
Wetipquin Creek State Park in July - Done, a lovely success!
Savage Highlands State Park in Frostburg - August 22, 2026 - The Lodge is the backdrop with remarks. After remarks we’ll offer a hike, outdoor cooking, and a fishing demonstration. A yurt, a cabin and the lodge will be open for guests to view them.
Wills Mountain State Park in Cumberland - September 24, 2026 - Guests will park at Braddock Middle School and MPS will shuttle everyone up the mountain. Remarks will be on a rock outcropping overlooking the Narrows and Wills Creek with a view of wind turbines, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Guests can walk around and learn about the cultural and natural resources of the site. We’ll avoid the burned-out plastic factory.
Holly Beach Farm Natural Resources Management Area in Annapolis - October 20, 2026 - Remarks and then an open house style event with informational stations.
Day use reservations at new properties, last year was the pilot year with five parks, this year we added more.
We are in full swing with power outages, incidents, beavers, and busy parks.
Working closely with HRS
The expanded bilingual program. We have 10 people going into 11 parks. We are working on translating interpretive material and will adjust the program as needed throughout the summer.
84 vacancies with a rate of 24% and we are working to get that down during a hiring freeze while opening parks and providing high-quality customer service and operational responses. Staff is anxious and stressed.
6 Park Openings in 2026 - See more details above
Catoctin Furnace - Done
Freedman’s - Done
Wetipquin Creek - Done, the press has been amazing according to OCM
Savage Highlands in Frostburg - August
Wills Mountain in Cumberland - September
Holly Beach Farm NRMA in Annapolis - October
All remaining events
Drafted remarks
Invites text, layout and guest list started
Printable items (program, signs, keepsakes) drafted and in process
Hiring
As of last week, Brighid Tracy no longer works for DNR. Mike Barrera and Rachel Eisenhauer will be the leads for Employee Relations
All current HFEs are moving along
Making plans to fill those full-time positions and lower the vacancy rate
Making plans to have seasonals posted longer in 2027 and lifeguards separately
Deputy Director Update with Rachel Temby
Operations Updates:
Staff are commended for their extraordinary efforts to work through all manner of challenges and incidents so far this summer season - the grit, determination, and resourcefulness demonstrated is impressive and appreciated! Less than a month of summer to go…
Reminder to follow Aquatic Recreation Management Plan and INLET procedures for notification of Water Contact Advisories. The park manager (or designee) will notify the regional manager, state duty officer, customer service team, social media team and all park staff, preparing an alert and installing signs as required.
Teams are reminded to ensure support and approval through chain of command for all grant applications and express the same to partners and Friends groups soliciting grant funds, noting that more than a couple weeks is usually needed to secure approval and signature on Letters of Support.
An overview of the upcoming Axon camera pilot program was provided, including next steps needed in coordination with NRP before deployment.
Thank you for getting parks’ radio battery needs tallied. We are working with ITS and NRP to procure new batteries and a handful of new radios through the Maryland Information Technology Development Project (MITDP) funds, once approved through DoIT.
The increasing frequency of unattended lithium-ion battery charging (e-bikes, power banks, etc.) in public park facilities was discussed in light of fire safety concerns and anticipated changes to fire code next year. Parks should restrict this activity due to the potential fire hazard, particularly in facilities with only one point of ingress/egress. Please also be mindful of radio batteries that may be left charging for extended periods of time in park offices and vehicles.
Reminder to review Customer Service Feedback to share kudos with staff and identify areas for attention.
In reviewing MPS alignment with federal pass programs, we are interested in getting a sense for the frequency of use of the NPS Fourth Grade pass across MD State Parks - please share any insight here with your Regional Manager.
The Uniform Workgroup is soliciting staff input regarding RJ Uniform contract items. In addition to scoping the contract needs for the Invitation for Bid next month, discussions are underway regarding improvements to the ordering process, additional items needed through MCE and other vendors, and overall uniform policy review. Thank you for the feedback provided thus far!
Ranger School - Please ensure new rangers sign up for EMR and Search and Rescue asap so they can be enrolled before Ranger School. See MPS Training website calendar for details. A waitlist is being established for the winter 2027 school.
Legislative Session Reminders - team members may be asked to provide feedback on concepts or ideas for further development in the coming weeks. Thanks in advance for participating as needed and maintaining confidentiality of internal discussions throughout the process.
The overall naming convention for MPS Regions was discussed, to account for two distinct regions in the West in addition to the prior division of Central.
Program Planning with Jonas Williams
So far this year, 360 projects have been submitted. The updated PIF form is nearing a testing stage- please reach out to J. Williams if you would like to be a tester!
Key Projects
GMOA projects at Patapsco Valley and Point Lookout are progressing with our managing partners. PVSP is nearing another round of solicitation for a planning firm, and Point Lookout is close to contracting the design/construction firm.
Master Planning efforts at Freedman’s SP with Preservation MD/Unknown Studios are going very well. We have enjoyed working with this firm so far!
The Artmor property at Wills Mountain SP took its next step on 8/11, when a public meeting was held as part of the Voluntary Clean-up Process. The meeting went well, and early indications from MD Dept. of the Environment show that our submission has been well received (so far).
Cultural/Historic Resources Team
Projects at Susquehanna, Fort Frederick, and South Mountain (and other parks) have been progressing with Preservation MD. Some are nearing completion, and some are just getting underway. A sizable portion of their GMOA projects are in process.
We are finalizing a cemetery best management practice to help with newly acquired sites in need of maintenance, and ongoing projects in state-owned cemeteries. This should be finalized soon and sent to park management teams.
Interpretation
America in Miniature is up to 174 registrations, and Miles for Maryland is still adding new participants, totaling 1627 registrations.
Naturalist Field Day at Rocky Gap on 8/12. The calendar shows a good turnout with 28 guests participating. Thanks to everyone who helped and supported this event! Shout out to Sam Dixon for taking over so Melissa Acuti could attend to some family matters.
Upcoming:
State Fair: Thanks to everyone who offered to help with shifts. Tickets will be distributed shortly. Contact Melissa Boyle Acuti for questions pertaining to State Fair.
Girl Scouts Love State Parks: Two Weekends in September for 2026- 9/12-13 & 19-20. Thanks to all who offered programs for this. Please contact Melissa Boyle Acuti if you have activities to add. Any programs happening during that time period can be advertised for the scouts.
Fall Senior Ranger Programs: Seneca, Patapsco, Southern MD, and Janes Island are currently offering fall sessions. Please contact Melissa Boyle Acuti if you have anything to add to the Website. https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/sr-ranger.aspx
Volunteers
Carly Brukiewa is investigating ways to utilize the new database, Galaxy Digital, to house Park Service trainings for park volunteers.
We are up to 701 volunteers signed up on the new site (up from the 561 volunteers transferred on 7/1), logging 2,377.04 hours since the transition.
Training for volunteer coordinators continues- there will be an office hours-style meeting on 8/25 at 10:00 am if anyone has any questions or wants to attend.
In-person volunteer training is on the Training Division calendar for September 12 - Western Region at Sideling Hill Creek SP and September 26 - Southern Region at Cedarville State Forest - both have low registration numbers, please encourage your volunteers to attend!
Maintenance
It’s that time of year- start thinking about Critical Maintenance projects and collecting information for Project Justifications (PJs). Engineering & Construction will implement a new priority system this year, and additional types of projects can be submitted directly to J.Williams during this cycle. An email with instructions should be coming out in the next week or so.
Administration with Kenneth Miller
Corporate purchasing cards that were suspended as part of the credit card reduction exercise last spring have officially been closed.
Any employee awards to be presented at Field Day need to be submitted before using the online submission form before September 8th to ensure sufficient time for approval and award development.
Current visitor trends appear on track with 2025 figures. It is vital that all attendance data is thoroughly vetted and submitted every month.
New training opportunities have been posted for the fall, including Supervisor and Leadership training this October. Please review the Training Division calendar for all offerings.
Fall tabletop discussions have been scheduled and invitations have been sent out.
The mapping application Caltopo is live and available for field use. Sub-teams are being created for each park complex.
Conservation Corps with Rebecca Jones
Corps HQ team has a new seasonal team member. Please welcome Elizabeth “Lizzy” Leary! Lizzy was a previous CJC member and recently graduated from LSU with a degree in Natural Resources Management.
HTC and CJC crews are fully recruited for this upcoming service year.
We are moving ahead with plans to recruit new VCC members through SkillBridge and a partnership with Hiring Our Heroes.
Regional Reports
North Central Region Report with Andrew Hangen
Elk Neck State Park has received a request to manage hazardous trees on State Route 272. Are other parks dealing with requests to manage trees along State or county roadways? Please share with your regional manager if this is an issue at your park.
The campground project at Elk Neck continues to be delayed. Costs are being solicited to expand the asphalt paving to cover the entrance road to the North East Beach.
Please continue to update your park hunting webpages. Archery season for deer will open later this year on September 11th. Early muzzleloader season for deer will also be a week later this year, beginning Thursday Oct 22nd. For parks that offer waterfowl hunting, a pre-Thanksgiving season was reinstituted this year for the Atlantic population Canada goose hunting zone beginning November 24th.
South Central Region Report with Mark Spurrier
Winter Lights agreement at Seneca Creek State Park in review with the Office of the Attorney General. If approved, it establishes an additional maintenance fee beyond the percentage of gate fees to help cover costs to Seneca for hosting the event.
Recent storms have continued to wreak havoc in the region. Patapsco Valley State Park had a shelter at the Whiting Property damaged by a tree blown down in Monday’s storm. Staff did an excellent job of alerting visitors in the Avalon area during the downpour. Ellicott City received 4.2 inches of rain and triggered flash flood and tornado warnings.
Southern Region Report with Mary Ironside
The Department of Defense requested possible use of the lighthouse area of Point Lookout. A project information form may be forthcoming to outline the specific request.
Additional property line verification is needed at the Anne Arundel County Fairgrounds property owned by the Department.
Eastern Region Report with Dana Paterra
Initial reclassifications remain in process regarding the State Park Ranger and State Park Ranger Steward roles.
Please continue contacting Barb as your primary point of contact for HR and personnel questions or issues.
Parks and partner organizations are collaborating with the Maryland Office of Tourism Development and the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program on four prospective site nominations: Janes Island, Assateague, Wetipquin Creek, and Pocomoke River State Parks.
Regional Manager Paterra will be on leave next week. Park Manager Cooper-Hughes has kindly agreed to oversee regional responsibilities during this time.
Western Region Report with Sarah Milbourne
Recent concerns regarding political flags and similar displays at Camp Host sites serve as a reminder that Camp Hosts represent the Maryland Park Service while serving in that role. Managers should ensure Camp Host campsites remain consistent with the Camp Host Agreement, including maintaining a welcoming environment for all visitors and keeping campsites in a natural condition free of excessive ornamentation. Political flags, banners, campaign signs, or similar partisan displays should not be displayed at Camp Host sites, regardless of viewpoint. Questions should be directed through your Regional Manager.
Discussed the digitization need at Deep Creek Lake Natural Resources Management Area.
RM Spurrier and Milbourne have partnered to begin a comprehensive review and rewrite of Maryland Park Service regulations under COMAR. The effort is intended to ensure that regulations accurately reflect the current State Park System while updating provisions that have become outdated over time. The first package of proposed amendments has been completed and submitted to begin the formal regulatory process. These amendments update COMAR 08.07.06, Use of State Parks, to reflect the current composition of the Maryland State Park System by adding Savage Highlands State Park, Wetipquin Creek State Park, and Holly Beach Farm Natural Resources Management Area. The proposal also establishes Freedman's State Park as a separate State Park unit from lands formerly managed as part of Patuxent River State Park, while retaining Patuxent River State Park as a separate park. The next round of proposed amendments will focus primarily on housekeeping updates, including revisions to outdated law enforcement references, obsolete position titles, and other administrative corrections.
Meeting was adjourned at 12:59 PM.
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