Baltimore’s parks are catching a fair wind, mateys. On October 7, 2026, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved $12.7 million in grants from the Department of Natural Resources for courts, playgrounds, and land conservation in Baltimore City and ten counties.
In Baltimore City, the approved projects include additional funding for Druid Hill Park’s Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Patterson Park Athletic Field, renovation of the Robert C. Marshall Recreation Center, and support for the maintenance and operations of the Baltimore City park system — which spans more than 5,700 acres.
The package also approved $253,000 for the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy to acquire a 31.9-acre permanent conservation easement in Baltimore County, protecting productive agricultural fields and forestland plus stream buffers within the watershed for the Loch Raven Reservoir, a source of drinking water for the Baltimore metropolitan area.
Nearly $11.79 million of the total comes from Program Open Space – Local funding for 21 projects across the state. Sources: Maryland DNR: Board of Public Works Approves $12.7 Million for Courts, Playgrounds, and Land Conservation in Baltimore City and Ten Counties