Rural Legacy Program Preserves Land in Baltimore and Washington Counties
Piney Run Rural Legacy Easement
The State has added 63 acres to its permanently protected rural landscape, eliminating 10 developmental rights in two counties. Governor Martin O’Malley and the Board of Public Works today approved funding to preserve the land, located in Baltimore and Washington counties. Read more 
MET Hosts Meeting for Maryland Land Trusts
On November 19, the Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) hosted a roundtable luncheon at the Baltimore County Agricultural Center for local and regional land trust representatives and others interested in discussing land conservation issues. This event was the first in a series of quarterly roundtable discussions top be hosted by MET and featured guest speaker, Andy Loza, Director of the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association.
MET, Partners Preserve Little Patuxent River Woodlands
Middle Patuxent River: Floodplain showing Virginia Bluebells
The District of Columbia granted a perpetual conservation easement on 250 acres of heavily wooded, stream valley in Anne Arundel County to the Maryland Environmental Trust (MET), the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust and the Scenic Rivers Land Trust. The D.C. Department of General Services will manage the land ─ located along the Little Patuxent River within view of Ft. Meade and Route 32 ─ which is part of a larger 827-acre property.
Conservation Easement Preserves 17 Acres in Washington County
The State has permanently preserved 17 acres of forests, natural areas and wetlands along Conococheague Creek in Washington County. Governor Martin O’Malley and Board of Public Works approved the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) easement on the Salgado property in Clear Spring, at today’s meeting in Annapolis.
“By protecting this land we are continuing to work toward restoring the Chesapeake Bay,” said Governor O’Malley. “This easement will conserve vital forestland that will forever provide natural buffers to filter polluted runoff before it reaches Conococheague Creek.” Read more
DNR Dedicates Fred W. Besley Demonstration Forest
Fred Besley, Maryland’s First State Forester
To honor Maryland’s first State forester, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officially dedicated the Fred W. Besley Demonstration Forest in Dorchester County on April 20. The ceremony, held in Linkwood, recognized Besley for his influence on the future of forestry conservation.
“As Maryland’s first State Forester, Fred Besley built a legacy of conservation and sustainable forestry management, which the Maryland Forest Service still follows to this day,” said State Forester and Director Steven Koehn. Read more
