{"id":34770,"date":"2021-10-15T16:15:07","date_gmt":"2021-10-15T20:15:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=34770"},"modified":"2021-10-15T16:15:07","modified_gmt":"2021-10-15T20:15:07","slug":"secretarys-message-october-2021","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2021\/10\/15\/secretarys-message-october-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Secretary\u2019s Message: October 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Positive Change for Maryland\u2019s Outdoors<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 360px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/marylanddnr\/11858721544\/in\/photolist-22Ddfn3-23HYkVV-j4V3Lh-bAaRx8-23HYmJD-bnfTDm-bAaMSv-bAaJBX-bAaMN6-bAaJgK-bnfTJJ-bng59m-bnfTPq-bAaMZx-bAaVAp-bAaSST-bAaKoV-bnfVv1-bAaVEr-crzXU9\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/2832\/11858721544_5206679430.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of people walking on a bridge in a wooded area during fall\" width=\"350\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cunningham Falls State Park in fall. Photo by Stephen Badger, Maryland DNR<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">M<\/span>aryland\u2019s landscape is starting to showcase the <a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?s=fall+foliage\">vibrant colors of fall<\/a>. Along with cooler, more pleasant weather, it is a spectacular and inviting backdrop that signifies the changing of the seasons. Governor Larry Hogan has also given us a reason to enjoy Maryland\u2019s outdoors by proclaiming October as \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/governor.maryland.gov\/2021\/10\/01\/governor-hogan-proclaims-october-as-walktober-in-maryland-to-highlight-benefits-of-walking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Walktober<\/a>\u201d month in recognition of Maryland\u2019s official exercise\u2014walking. We are pleased to join the Governor, the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Maryland Department of Health, and the Maryland Department of Planning in encouraging Marylanders to enjoy the benefits of walking. Whether it is a leisurely stroll through your community, wandering through a local orchard or pumpkin patch, or hiking on Maryland\u2019s world-class trail system, it is a great time to get outside.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Maryland Department of Commerce are always looking to create new outdoor recreation opportunities and expand access to our natural spaces. To that end, Governor Hogan recently announced the creation of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2021\/09\/24\/governor-hogan-announces-office-of-outdoor-recreation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Office of Outdoor Recreation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0and the hiring of J. Daryl Anthony to serve as its first executive director.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Daryl is a familiar face here at DNR, having spent 35 years in the Maryland Park Service &#8212; with experience in conservation law enforcement &#8212; and ultimately serving as Assistant Secretary for Land Resources before retiring in 2018.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/7912\/46193085924_bb2e62c963_n.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft \" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/7912\/46193085924_bb2e62c963_n.jpg\" alt=\"Photo of Secretary Riccio\" width=\"175\" height=\"230\" \/><\/a>An experienced outdoorsman, Daryl will be blazing a new trail for us, working with partners and stakeholders to support and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities and the economic benefits they produce. This includes implementation of the recommendations of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/Documents\/more\/MORE_FinalReport.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Maryland Outdoor Recreation Economic Commission<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (MOREC), which I co-chaired with Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Daryl\u2019s experience and enthusiasm for natural resources and innovative ideas will help us expand those opportunities for Maryland even more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As we seek those opportunities, we welcome you to continue finding your own outdoor adventure in Maryland\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/Publiclands\/Pages\/parkmap.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">state parks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/forests\/Pages\/mdforests.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">state forests<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/Wildlife\/Pages\/publiclands\/home.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">wildlife management areas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/gisapps.dnr.state.md.us\/PublicFishingAccess\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">fishing areas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/Boating\/Pages\/mdwatertrails.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">waterways<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/Pages\/DNR_Secretary.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio<\/i><\/a><i>\u00a0is Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Positive Change for Maryland\u2019s Outdoors Maryland\u2019s landscape is starting to showcase the vibrant colors of fall. Along with cooler, more pleasant weather, it is a spectacular and inviting backdrop that signifies the changing of the seasons. Governor Larry Hogan has also given us a reason to enjoy Maryland\u2019s outdoors by proclaiming October as \u201cWalktober\u201d month<a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2021\/10\/15\/secretarys-message-october-2021\/\">&nbsp;&nbsp;Read the Rest&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[956,957,3171,11,1965,4998,3172,23,12,14,33,13],"tags":[3232,4035,5216,3932,5000],"class_list":["post-34770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alert","category-appnews","category-boating","category-fisheries","category-maryland-forest-service","category-hiking","category-hunting","category-land","category-parks","category-nrp-news","category-the-bay","category-wildlife","tag-daryl-anthony","tag-jeannie-haddaway-riccio","tag-kelly-m-schulz","tag-maryland-outdoor-recreational-economic-commission","tag-outdoor-recreation"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34770"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34770\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34785,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34770\/revisions\/34785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}