Maryland's Wildlands

General Assembly passes Wildlands Bill

Read the press release from DNR dated 4/1/14.


Background on Maryland Wildlands

Wildlands are Maryland's equivalent of wilderness areas on federal lands. They are the most secure form of protection available for our state lands, in that the General Assembly designates specific areas to be kept wild and natural, without motor vehicles, roads or structures. They can be in state forests, state parks, wildlife management areas, or other lands managed by DNR. 

The Wildlands Protection Act was adopted by the General Assembly in 1971 at the instigation of conservationists and patterned after the Wilderness Act of 1964, a federal law. Wildlands status does not change the management of the area, but is essentially an overlay of added protection. Wildlands can only be designated by acts of the General Assembly and can only be repealed by the General Assembly. Wildlands status strengthens the hand of good managers who want to protect the land against pressures such as we saw with the recent Offroad Vehicle (ORV) proposal for Sideling Hill WMA. 

Of course, Wildlands status is not appropriate for lands where the habitat will be actively managed. The Wildlands designation is most valuable for places where we want the native ecosystems to function without human intervention. (The law provides an exception for emergencies such as fire and public safety.)

In September to December 2013, Maryland took public input on proposals to designate more land as "Wildlands".

DNR References for Further Information