Natural Resources - State Parks - Terminology

SB 280 updates Maryland law to replace "historical" with "historical" in park terminology and requires the Department of Natural Resources to coordinate with specific commissions (like the Commission on African American History and the Commission on Indian Affairs) when establishing parks preserving African American, Asian, Indigenous, or Hispanic/Latino history. It mandates the creation of "Freedman’s State Historical Park" in Montgomery County as a partnership park, managed with local stakeholders, and requires a stakeholder advisory committee reflecting community diversity. The bill also revises the state’s strategic park plan to include new parks for these communities, workforce programs with historically Black colleges, and details on volunteer management and transportation access. Additionally, it requires a 2023 report to the General Assembly on property suitable for the new park and associated funding needs.