Assateague Island National Seashore, in partnership with Assateague State Park, hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the park’s new Maryland visitor center on Monday, January 28th, a very sunny, cold and crisp winter day. The nearly 10,000-square-foot Barrier Island Visitor Center will provide interactive educational opportunities for national seashore and state park visitors.
The celebration featured keynote addresses by Senator Paul Sarbanes (retired), Senator Benjamin Cardin, and other special guest speakers. The ceremony included special presentations of financial support for Assateague’s Centennial Challenge projects from the seashore’s dedicated partners.
These partners include the Maryland Coastal Bays Program and Assateague Coastal Trust, which donated $10,000 towards the Centennial Challenge for the new film "Back to the Wild – The Wild Horses of Assateague Island;" the Assateague Mobile Sportfishermen’s Association, which contributed $50,000 for the new visitor's center aquarium; and the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore, which donated $2,000 toward the Centennial Challenge and for community youth apprentice programs. The formation of a new friends group was also announced – the Assateague National Seashore Alliance.
