{"id":43905,"date":"2025-01-29T13:13:55","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T18:13:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=43905"},"modified":"2025-01-29T16:24:30","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T21:24:30","slug":"board-of-public-works-approves-1-8-million-for-recreation-and-land-conservation-in-allegany-frederick-garrett-queen-annes-somerset-and-worcester-counties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2025\/01\/29\/board-of-public-works-approves-1-8-million-for-recreation-and-land-conservation-in-allegany-frederick-garrett-queen-annes-somerset-and-worcester-counties\/","title":{"rendered":"Board of Public Works Approves $1.8 Million for Recreation and Land Conservation in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett, Queen Anne\u2019s, Somerset, and Worcester Counties"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Funding approved for DNR\u2019s Program Open Space Local and Rural Legacy programs<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 370px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/5739\/30331804512_725f179f66_b.jpg\" alt=\"Aerial photo of farmland along the coast\" width=\"360\" height=\"250\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Funding approved will allow Worcester County to conserve 128 acres in the Coastal Bays Rural Legacy Area, one of the most ecologically diverse Rural Legacy Areas in the state, encompassing farms, forests, wetlands, and wildlife habitats. Maryland Department of Natural Resources photo.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Board of Public Works today approved more than $1.8 million in grants to local governments and land trusts from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to improve parks and protect land with perpetual conservation easements.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">About $800,000 in<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/land\/pages\/programopenspace\/home.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Program Open Space \u2013 Local<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0funding was approved for nine projects including athletic field improvements at the Allegany College of Maryland and for a new basketball court and other amenities at Allegany County\u2019s Glendening Recreation Complex. Funds were also approved for the acquisition of 11.8 acres to expand Walkersville Community Park in Frederick County and for park improvements at four parks in Garrett County.\u00a0<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/land\/pages\/programopenspace\/home.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Program Open Space \u2013 Local<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0provides funding for county and municipal governments for the planning, acquisition, and development of recreational land or facilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additionally, $1 million in\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/land\/Pages\/RuralLegacy\/home.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Rural Legacy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0funding was approved for local sponsors to acquire conservation easements on three properties totalling 326 acres:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Lower Shore Land Trust will acquire a 100-acre easement within the Somerset County portion of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/land\/Documents\/RuralLegacy\/dividing_creek_rla.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dividing Creek Rural Legacy Area<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">; The easement will protect agricultural and forested lands in the Manokin watershed, which <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">support the local economy and provide scenic views along a public road.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Worcester County will conserve 128 acres in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/land\/Documents\/RuralLegacy\/WO_CoastBaysrla.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Coastal Bays Rural Legacy Area<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The property is mostly forested and the conservation easement will protect stream buffers along tributaries to the Pocomoke River.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Queen Anne\u2019s County will acquire a conservation easement on 98 acres in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/land\/Documents\/RuralLegacy\/Foreman_rla.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Foreman Branch Rural Legacy Area<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. This easement will preserve productive agricultural fields with soils designated as prime farmland and farmland of statewide importance.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">All projects funded are listed in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/bpw.maryland.gov\/MeetingDocs\/2025-Jan-29-Agenda.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Board of Public Works January 29, 2025 meeting agenda<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The three-member Board of Public Works is composed of Governor Wes Moore, Treasurer Dereck E. Davis and Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Rural Legacy Program, created in 1997, conserves large working landscapes across 36 locally designated areas throughout Maryland.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">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\u2019s long-term commitment to conserving our natural resources while providing exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities for all citizens<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The program is funded by a property transfer tax.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">News on grants approved for Program Open Space Local, Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure, Rural Legacy, and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Permanent Easement programs is available on DNR\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/land\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Land News<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> webpage.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Funding approved for DNR\u2019s Program Open Space Local and Rural Legacy programs The Board of Public Works today approved more than $1.8 million in grants to local governments and land trusts from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to improve parks and protect land with perpetual conservation easements. About $800,000 in\u00a0Program Open Space \u2013 Local\u00a0funding<a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2025\/01\/29\/board-of-public-works-approves-1-8-million-for-recreation-and-land-conservation-in-allegany-frederick-garrett-queen-annes-somerset-and-worcester-counties\/\">&nbsp;&nbsp;Read the Rest&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[957,23],"tags":[2955,3003,3123],"class_list":["post-43905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-appnews","category-land","tag-board-of-public-works","tag-program-open-space","tag-rural-legacy-program"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43905"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43918,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43905\/revisions\/43918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}