ANNAPOLIS - The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced on Friday that Governor Martin O’Malley appointed Dennis Fleming to the Potomac River Fisheries Commission. The Commission works to conserve and improve the fishery resources of the Potomac River.
“Mr. Fleming has a deep affection for the Potomac River that dates back decades,” said DNR Secretary John R. Griffin. “We are pleased that he has agreed to serve the state — and the river — in this important role.”
Fleming is the chapter president of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Southern Maryland and a Board of Directors member at the state level. He is president of the Mason Springs Conservancy, which seeks to preserve recreational fishing opportunities along this tributary to the Potomac River. Fleming is also an environmental professional, working for the past 15 years as Charles County’s Chief of the Solid Waste Division.
“As a recreational fisherman I have spent hundreds of hours on the Potomac, on the banks or in one of many different vessels,” said Commissioner Fleming. “It was during these past three decades that I became concerned for the health and well being of the river and the marine resources that swim in its waters.”
The appointment is effective immediately and will require confirmation by the Maryland State Senate at the start of the 2008 legislative session.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 449,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority.