LA PLATA, Md. — The Charles County government will hold two public hearings to discuss land donation requests for properties in Waldorf, a decision made during a county commissioner meeting on Jan. 28, 2025. However, concerns have been raised regarding the proposed donations.
The first hearing, scheduled for Feb. 25, 2025, will address a request from Melwood, a nonprofit that has been a tenant at 12705 Country Lane since 1992. Melwood submitted a land donation request in September 2023 for the 10.02-acre property, which has an appraised value of $4.6 million.
The second hearing, set for March 18, 2025, will solicit public comments on a donation request from the Official Piscataway Conoy Tribe of Maryland, Inc. The organization has been a tenant at 16816 Country Lane since 2023 and submitted its request in September 2023 for the 16.49-acre property, appraised at $2.88 million.
Legal and Recognition Concerns Raised
During the Jan. 28 meeting, several residents voiced concerns about the donation to the Official Piscataway Conoy Tribe of Maryland, Inc., citing the organization’s ongoing legal dispute.
Rosanna Swann, who spoke during public comments, questioned why the county would proceed with the donation despite the legal matter.
“My first concern is, why are we donating over $5 million in property when the county is currently in a deficit?” Swann said. “My second concern is that the Official Piscataway Conoy Tribe of Maryland is party to a lawsuit. Are the commissioners and legal staff aware of that? How will said lawsuit affect Charles County residents? Will you subject Charles County residents to be a party to another lawsuit?”
Swann also questioned why the county would evict the Cedarville Band of the Piscataway Indians from the property, only to consider donating it to a non-state-recognized group. In 2023, Charles County issued an eviction notice to the Cedarville Band after its 40-year lease on the same property expired. The eviction sparked backlash from civil rights organizations, including the ACLU and Progressive Maryland, which condemned the removal of the tribe from its ancestral land.
Clarifying Tribal Recognition
Tina Wilson, former president of the Port Tobacco River Conservancy, also spoke at the meeting, emphasizing that the Official Piscataway Conoy Tribe of Maryland is not a state-recognized tribe.
“The two recognized Native American tribes by the state of Maryland are the Piscataway Indian Nation and the Piscataway Tribe,” Wilson said. “This needs to be clarified because, based on our earlier discussion, the county commissioners could misconstrue that the entity you are donating land to is a recognized tribe—it is not.”
The State of Maryland formally recognized the Piscataway Indian Nation and the Piscataway Conoy Tribe in 2012, followed by the Accohannock Tribe in 2017.
Public Input and County Response
The upcoming public hearings aim to gather community input on the proposed property transfers.
Residents interested in voicing their opinions or learning more about the land donation requests are encouraged to attend the hearings. Public comments can be submitted online or in person.
To view all upcoming public comment opportunities and sign up to speak, visit Charles County Public Comments.
Requests for comment were made to both Rosanna Swann and Tina Wilson regarding their public statements, but as of publication, no response has been received.
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It’s odd that there is no mention of who actually owns these two properties.
It might be (it is) property the U.S. took from a private citizen(s), back in 1954. It would seem if the Government is done with the properties (Nike missiles and soldiers are all gone) they should give them back to the previous owners and/or their heirs, that they took it from.
Rosanna Swann and Tina Wilson made some strong points regarding these donation requests. I hope those points are seriously considered, seriously.