SNOW HILL, Md. (AP) — Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources says it has decided to open the 4,800-acre Foster tract in the Chesapeake Forest to public hunting.

The department also announced Thursday that it plans to move 15 other smaller tracts from public hunting to leased hunting. DNR has been gathering the public’s input on proposed changes to hunting areas in the Chesapeake Forest, which cover nearly 67,000 acres in six lower Eastern Shore counties.

The expiration of a lease on the Foster tract by a private hunting club led the DNR to seek public input on its use. DNR Forestry Service Director Steve Koehn says the decision will ensure recreational hunting opportunities for both public and leased land.

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