Rosaryville State Park
April 22, 2012
Reflections on Fred
Secretary John Griffin
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
It is a privilege for me to be here today to take part in this
long overdue recognition of a true friend, a wonderful colleague and
a great conservationist, Fred Eskew.
It is especially fitting that we commemorate this extraordinary
man and his extraordinary legacy on Earth Day, which would have been
Fred’s 74th birthday.
We’re all thrilled that Fred’s children could be with us today…
Fred Jr., Denise, Joseph -- who’s out from Colorado -- and the
youngest, Mary Catherine. Their mother Peggy Eskew is here with us,
as are their children -- who sadly never had the opportunity to get
to know Fred.
One more family member I’d like to recognize – Fred’s
brother-in-law and long time DNR-employee Pat Bright, Sr. (Patrick
Jr. is hosting us today.)
Many people pass before their time, never realizing their goals.
But in his all too short 48 years, Fred accomplished enough for
several lifetimes over.
Fred’s passion for conservation and recreation led him to work
outside of the box – and regularly outside of our bureaucracy –
often to the dismay of his managers and our controls agencies, but
always to the benefit of our resources and our citizens.
And for more than a quarter century Fred’s career followed his
heart, supporting recreation and land preservation in Maryland
through:
- his early days with Prince George’s and Charles Counties,
- his tenure as President of the Maryland Parks and Recreation
Association,
- and of course, his state service -- as Director of Program
Open Space, Assistant Secretary for Capital Programs and the
Governor’s Outdoor Recreation Liaison Officer.
At DNR Fred’s vision, grit and determination set the stage for
our preservation efforts today.
More than any one person in our State’s history, Fred was
responsible for creating our innovative, highly successful
Program Open Space, which has long been a national model for in
land preservation. This program alone has helped fund the
purchase of more than 2,200 local parks and recreation areas and
more than 90,000 acres of state lands.
In this and many other ways, Fred was far ahead of his time.
Well before science documented the benefits of streams
buffers, Fred recognized the connection between human activity
and water quality, placing an emphasis on buying land along our
stream valley parks.
He established private enterprise concessions on state lands
at Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area in Cecil County,
Somers Cove in Somerset County and here at Rosaryville.
He started the Natural Heritage Program to protect rare,
threatened and endangered plants and wildlife.
He started our In-House construction crew – a very skilled and
resilient group, who to this day tackle our most challenging and
complex construction and renovation projects.
He partnered with the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland to
plan and develop the beautiful Helen Avalynne Tawes Garden, a
monument to Maryland’s diverse landscape.
He was instrumental in preserving Belt Woods in Prince Georges
County, a National Landmark and one of the oldest stands of oak
and poplar in Maryland… indeed the U.S.
However, despite this most impressive list of accomplishments,
one of Fred’s most remarkable qualities was the capacity to
engage and enjoy people. He had an innate ability to connect
with anyone, from a governor or senator to a waterman or farmer.
Fred always understated his own talents, which were significant.
He had an innate ability to get things done, supported no
doubt by his remarkable common sense.
He was also truly a caring, nice guy, who was always willing
to help anyone, personally or professionally.
Pat Noonan, Chairman Emeritus of the Conservation Fund,
offered this:
Freddy was my mentor when I began work at The Nature Conservancy
in the 1970s. Moreover, when I was a freshman at St. John’s High
School, Freddy was captain of the team and All Metropolitan
Lineman, tough as nails from Southeast DC. While I admired his
football and leadership abilities, I benefited much more from
his outstanding land conservation skills.
Fred’s close friend and colleague, DNR’s former Assistant
Secretary Mike Nelson who now lives in California, wanted to share
these thoughts:
DNR is a collection of individuals, excited by its mission,
devoted to its success, and thrilled by its achievements.
But this organization that we revere has a history, a tale, a
creation myth that is populated by great men and women that were
larger than life.
Fred Eskew was one of them.
Fred was a “coach “and a “visionary” before these terms became
the buzzwords of leadership training and continuous improvement.
He prized individuals who were loyal and competent, and
recognized, that having a good time was imperative to enhanced
performance.
Fred’s legacy at DNR is huge, what he accomplished through
Program Open Space impacts everyone who visits or lives in
Maryland to this day.
One of Fred’s signature projects was the Fair Hill Training
Center, a spectacular public private partnership constructed on
a 500-acre lease hold that would include a training track, an
auction house, a equine research facility, and a condominium
regime comprised of stalls and stables.
Though he did not live to see the project’s completion, today,
it is one of the world’s premier training facilities, the 2006
Kentucky Derby winner was a resident, one of this year’s
Kentucky Derby favorites, Union Rags, is an alumnus. [While
Nelson says it was one of the more controversial projects he
managed for Fred....it is also one of which he is most proud.]
Fred was certainly not a Shakespearian scholar, but would
certainly have appreciated this quotation: “Things won are done;
joy's soul lies in the doing.”
Even now, Fred is most certainly watching over us and his
amazing legacy – no doubt hoping we don’t screw anything up. So,
here’s to you, Fred, thank you for your inspiration, your
stewardship, your leadership and most of all your friendship.
You set the conservation bar to which we all continue to aspire
today.
Return to the Fred Eskew Recreation Area Dedication
webpage.
Click here for more information and directions to
Rosaryville State Park.