Comments Sought on Proposed Wildlife Refuge

(Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust map)

The draft proposal and environmental assessment for establishing the Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge in Anne Arundel, Calvert, Charles, Prince George’s, and St. Mary’s counties is now available for review and public comment.

The proposal would conserve up to 40,000 acres in fee-title acquisitions or easements from willing sellers, helping to conserve habitats that support threatened and endangered species, waterfowl and migratory birds of conservation concern.

The public can review the proposal online here.

Interested parties can submit comments to [email protected] by April 21, 2024.

Having initiated the original study of wildlife corridors in Southern Maryland, the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust fully supports the proposal.

In 2012, PTLT Executive Director Susan Charkes convened experts and officials from local, state, and federal agencies to evaluate where land conservation priorities are the highest. PTLT’s report became the starting point for the US Fish and Wildlife Service plan now underway.