![[photo, Loblolly pine, Prince George's County, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/01glance/images/i002569a.jpg)
Within the Department of Natural Resources, Land Acquisition and Planning is responsible for the State wildlands preservation system. The system was established in 1971 to preserve the wilderness character of undisturbed areas in Maryland. Some 27 wildlands cover 39,412 acres in State parks, forests, and wildlife management areas. Designated by the General Assembly, wildlands protect watersheds and threatened or endangered species, and preserve unique ecological communities (Code Natural Resources Article, sec. 5-1203).
Loblolly Pine, Prince George's County, Maryland, 1998. Photo by Diane P. Frese.
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