February 6th, 2023 by WCBC Radio

Although a Washington D.C. native who represented Baltimore in the General Assembly, Comptroller Brooke Lierman tells WCBC News that she has become  familiar  with Western Maryland over the years- and is excited about the recreational economic development opportunities.   Elected in November, Lierman replaced longtime Comptroller Peter Franchot who was a regular visitor to Allegany County and opened an office in downtown Cumberland. Lierman says that with 170,000 acres of public land,  Allegany and Garrett counties are gateway communities to a large number of nature-based assets and four seasons of outdoor recreation opportunities. She believes that with more than 500 miles of developed trail systems, one national park, three state forests, 12 state parks and 27 public water assets-the mountain counties offer have unlimited potential…

She says unfortunately the   regional tourism industry was one of the hardest hit industries during the COVID-19 pandemic.