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Council committee advances $415,146 supplemental grant for Camp Small after fire-safety briefing
Summary
The Budget & Appropriations Committee voted unanimously to move a $415,146 Recreation & Parks supplementary state operating appropriation for urban forestry (Camp Small) to the full council after department staff described cleanup, new fire lanes, added staff and training plans following a prior fire.
The Budget & Appropriations Committee on Feb. 23 voted to move forward a $415,146 supplementary state fund operating appropriation for the Department of Recreation and Parks' urban-forestry program, which supports Camp Small.
Chair Danielle McCray opened the meeting and the committee heard form-and-fiscal reports from the law department and the city budget office before taking testimony from Recreation & Parks staff. Jenny Morgan of Recreation & Parks introduced Sean Preston, the manager of Camp Small, who said the site has been cleared since a previous fire and that staff increased sorting and added fire lanes and storage practices to meet fire department recommendations. "All debris has left the facility," Preston said, and the department has "increased staff" through grant support.
The committee asked about the cause of the fire, security and camera coverage. Preston said the fire department could not identify a definitive cause; the blaze started about 700 yards from wood-chip storage, and the department has installed an additional security gate and repositioned piles so existing cameras can see toward the gate. Council members suggested deploying battery-powered trail cameras to monitor the entry.
Preston outlined Camp Small's revenue model: roughly $150,000 annually from lumber and material sales, approximately $100,000 in donated materials to city projects, and savings the city avoids by recycling rather than contracting removal. He said contract removal costs amount to about $750,000 per year to remove excess material, while the program recycles about 2,000 tons annually. The grant that helped expand operations runs through 2027; Recreation & Parks said one of two community-aid contract positions would be converted to a permanent position while the other would form part of an apprenticeship run with the Baltimore Tree Trust and partner training with DPW.
There was no public testimony. Councilman Paris Gray moved to advance the bill as favorable; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll call with Chair McCray, Councilman Schleifer and Vice President Sharon Green Middleton joining Gray in voting yes; one member, Glover, was absent. The committee packet notes the bill will proceed to the full council for a second reading on Feb. 23, 2026.
Next steps: the legislation advances to the city council for a second reading; Recreation & Parks said it will continue implementing the safety and training measures it described to the committee.
