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Delegate Baker proposes task force to study creation of state park focused on veterans' care
Summary
HB 1181 would create a task force to study establishment of a state park dedicated to recreational and therapeutic services for veterans. Supporters, including private donors and nonprofit retreat operators, said such a park could fill a gap in services for wounded, ill or injured veterans and complement existing private veteran retreats.
Delegate Baker presented HB 1181 to establish a task force to investigate creating a state park dedicated to veterans’ recreational and therapeutic services. The task force would study costs, funding models, operational structures and potential locations.
Private donors and nonprofit operators addressed the committee, describing existing veteran retreat work and local opportunities. Bill Armstrong, whose family owns a property near an existing trail network, said his family intended to donate land for veteran use and stressed potential trailhead and connectivity benefits. Dan Speddon, a former state park superintendent and current county tourism official, referenced the Great Maryland Outdoors Commission and DNR planning reports that encourage new partnership parks and trail connectivity. Steve Beck, executive director of the Military Bowl Foundation, described Patriot Point in Cambridge — a retreat for wounded, ill and injured service members that hosts about 500 participants a year — and said demand exceeds current capacity.
Why it matters: witnesses argued a dedicated veterans‑care park would provide therapeutic recreation, expand capacity for retreats, and coordinate with DNR and local partners on trail access and veterans’ services.
Discussion and next steps: the sponsor and witnesses recommended stakeholder participation on the task force and suggested donation models or public‑private partnerships to reduce capital costs. The committee recorded no final vote in the transcript.
