FOGFLP STATEMENT ON THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL

April 9, 2024 - Friends, we did it! With Monday's passage of House Bill 1358, Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park is well on its way to becoming a state-city partnership park. We have come this far thanks to the collaborative work of many hands: our city and state political champions, neighborhood association leaders, environmental community partners, and many more.

This is a major step toward the establishment of Baltimore’s first state park. It marks a milestone in FOGFLP’s efforts to enhance the park as a community resource and preserve its natural wonders for future generations.

The bill requires the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Baltimore Department of Recreation and Parks to begin planning for a state park at Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park. The state and city will form an Advisory Committee to study the creation of Gwynns Falls State Park, and the law mandates that FOGFLP is represented on that committee. HB 1358 also calls for convening focus groups and for developing a list of priority needs and their costs. It requires DNR to issue a report on its findings no later than December 1, 2025.

There isn’t room to thank everyone who deserves it here. You know who you are: all who wrote letters, made phone calls, testified in hearings, endorsed statements, and otherwise seized this opportunity to make a difference. We appreciate every single one of you. But we have to single out one individual who embraced this cause with special passion and commitment: District 41 Delegate Malcolm Ruff, our original bill sponsor and legislative hero.

We have a long road to travel before cutting the ribbon on Gwynns Falls State Park. Many months of hard work lie ahead to ensure the best possible outcome for the park and all those who love it. Today, we celebrate a victory. Tomorrow, we roll up our sleeves and start turning this vision into reality.

Sincerely,

Erica Lewis,

President, Friends of Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park

Mike Cross-Barnet

Executive Director, Friends of Gwynns Falls/Leakin Park