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Maryland Code, Natural Resources § 5-1402

Current as of January 01, 2025 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

(a)(1) A person may not, without express, prior, written permission of an owner, wilfully or knowingly:

(i) Break, break-off, crack, carve upon, write, burn, or otherwise mark upon, remove, or in any manner destroy, disturb, deface, mar, or harm the surfaces of any cave or any natural material which may be found therein whether attached or broken, including speleothems, speleogens, and sedimentary deposits;

(ii) Disturb or alter in any manner the natural condition of any cave; or

(iii) Break, force, tamper with, or otherwise disturb a lock, gate, door, or other obstruction designed to control or prevent access to any cave, even though entrance thereto may not be gained.

(2) However, the entering or remaining in a cave by itself shall not constitute a violation of this section.

(b) A person may not dispose of, dump, store, or otherwise introduce into any cave, sinkhole, or subterranean drainage system any litter, refuse, dead animals, sewage, trash, garbage, or any chemical or biological contaminant which is potentially dangerous to man or any form of cave life.

(c) Unless otherwise established by the Secretary and clearly posted at the cave entrance, caves having access within the boundaries of public properties shall be open for recreational purposes.

(d) Any person violating any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $500, and in addition thereto, may be imprisoned for not less than ten days nor more than six months.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Maryland Code, Natural Resources § 5-1402 - last updated January 01, 2025 | https://codes.findlaw.com/md/natural-resources/md-code-nat-res-sect-5-1402/

FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature before relying on it for your legal needs.

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