Board of Public Works Approves More Than $10.6 Million for Park Improvements and Land Conservation

Funding approved for several DNR programs

Deer Creek Rural Legacy Area in Harford County. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.

The Board of Public Works on Aug. 28 approved Maryland Department of Natural Resources items totaling more than $10.6 million in grants to local governments and land trusts to improve parks and protect land with perpetual conservation easements.

A total of $2.6 million in Program Open Space – Local funding was approved for the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission to acquire 0.15 acres of land that will be part of the new Eastern Capital Crescent Park in Montgomery County. The park is to be located along the Capital Crescent Trail and Purple Line and will provide active recreation amenities such as fitness equipment, a skate park, and sports courts. Program Open Space – Local provides funding for county and municipal governments for the planning, acquisition, and development of recreational land or facilities.

The Board also approved more than $2.7 million in Community Parks and Playgrounds grants to 18 municipalities across the state. Projects include new playground equipment for Panther Park in Hampstead, Lower Ferry Park in Perryville, North Pointe Park in Middletown, St. Paul Park in Kensington, Dr. William Henry Park in Berlin, among others, new pickleball courts in Midland, and new multi-use sports court at Taylor Park in Keedysville. The Community Parks and Playgrounds program provides funding to municipal governments to restore existing and create new park and recreational facilities throughout the state.

Additional approvals include nearly $2 million from the Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure Program for three projects. In Prince George’s County, funding will be used for park improvements at Summerfield Park and Montgomery County will use its funds at McKnew and Long Branch-Garland Parks for new playground equipment, picnic shelters, and sports courts. 

The Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure Program was funded in FY 2022 and FY 2023 to provide grant funds primarily to local governments for park and recreation projects.

More than $3.3 million in Rural Legacy funding was approved for local sponsors to acquire conservation easements on four properties spanning three counties and totaling 550 acres: 

• Frederick County will preserve a 250-acre property in the Carrollton Manor Rural Legacy Area that contains significant wetlands. The easement will protect 1.5 miles of stream buffers along Bennett Creek and the Monocacy River.
• An easement on a 133-acre agricultural and forested property in the Deer Creek Rural Legacy Area will be held by Harford County. The easement will protect streams that flow into Deer Creek, a state-designated scenic river that feeds the Susquehanna River, a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay.
• A 108-acre property that straddles the Harford and Baltimore County line will be preserved by the Manor Conservancy in its Rural Legacy Area. This farm will be part of a large area of preserved lands within My Lady’s Manor, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The easement will protect  scenic views along Old York Road, a historic byway.
• The Land Preservation Trust will preserve a 60-acre farm in the Piney Run Rural Legacy Area in Baltimore County. This easement will preserve the view along Falls Road Scenic Byway and protect stream buffers in the watershed of Loch Raven Reservoir, an important source of water for the Baltimore metropolitan area.

All projects funded are listed in the Board of Public Works August 28, 2024 meeting agenda. The three-member Board of Public Works is composed of Governor Wes Moore, Treasurer Dereck E. Davis and Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman.

The Rural Legacy Program, created in 1997, conserves large working landscapes across 35 locally designated areas throughout Maryland. 

Established under the Department of Natural Resources in 1969, Program Open Space (divided into Local and Stateside programs), along with other state land conservation programs, symbolizes Maryland’s long-term commitment to conserving our natural resources while providing exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities for all citizens.