Governor Wes Moore tours Deep Creek Lake State Park with Maryland Park Service Acting Superintendent Ranger Angela Crenshaw. Photo by Patrick Siebert, Maryland State House.
Governor Wes Moore this past weekend embarked upon a two-day tour of Mountain Maryland to mark the Moore-Miller administration’s first six months in office. Governor Moore was joined by Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller for a convening of the administration’s cabinet at Rocky Gap Casino Resort and community engagement events in Allegany and Garrett Counties.
“At the halfway point of the first year of this administration, we have achieved a lot to be proud of—but we have much more work to do,” said Gov. Moore. “We must continue to work in partnership from Mountain Maryland to the Eastern Shore to build an economy that leaves no one behind and create new pathways to prosperity to make this Maryland’s decade.”
“Leaving no one behind means going everywhere,” said Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller. “That’s why, six months into office, our administration has visited every single county in the state and has heard from thousands of Marylanders on what they want to see from their government. We know our work isn’t finished and we will continue to build on the success of our first six months — while making sure we bring every Marylander along with us.”
Following the conclusion of the cabinet meeting, Gov. Moore, Lt. Gov. Miller and cabinet members attended the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce Crab Feast in Cumberland. The governor spoke with local leadership, elected officials, and community members about workforce development initiatives and industry cultivation opportunities in outdoor recreation and the environmental economy.
On Saturday morning, Gov. Moore, Lt. Gov. Miller and members of the cabinet visited the Women’s Health Center of Maryland, a reproductive health care clinic that will soon become the only comprehensive abortion provider within a 100-mile radius of Cresaptown. The clinic is opening in western Maryland as the result of prohibitive restrictions on access to reproductive healthcare in neighboring West Virginia.
“We are grateful to plant roots in the Mountain Maryland community,” said Women’s Health Center of Maryland Executive Director Katie Quiñonez. “Governor Moore’s commitment to cultivating a legislative landscape that not only protects but expands abortion access has helped make this clinic a reality, and it will be a beacon of hope throughout Appalachia.”
Governor Moore then visited Deep Creek Lake State Park in Swanton. Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz, Park Service staff, and the Maryland Natural Resources Police welcomed the governor, lieutenant governor, and Garrett County elected officials for a tour of the park’s Discovery Center and waterfront dock.
Governor Wes Moore tours the Discovery Center at Deep Creek Lake State Park. Photo by Patrick Siebert, Maryland State House.
The Deep Creek Lake area is a magnet for recreational tourism, generating hundreds of millions of dollars annually toward the local economy and supporting an estimated 4,000 jobs. Deep Creek State Park is undergoing a number of improvements, including a $2.4 million pilot dredging program to enable greater boating access to Arrowhead Cove in the lake. The Board of Public Works also recently approved $425,500 in state funding to support renovations for the park’s Discovery Center to increase energy efficiency and ensure its long-term viability.
“We recognize the importance of Deep Creek Lake and the park to the economy and way of life in Garrett County, and that’s why we’re continuing to make investments to ensure their vibrancy,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz. “Gov. Moore’s visit this weekend highlighted how we’re working throughout the state to protect natural resources to benefit residents, visitors, and Maryland’s economy.”
In partnership with Garrett County, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has invested $1 million to reduce shoreline erosion at Deep Creek Lake through control walls with accompanying underwater fish habitat. The Deep Creek Lake Watershed Foundation also donated five new water quality monitoring stations to the Department of Natural Resources this year to help the state better track nutrient pollution, dissolved oxygen, and water clarity in the lake.