BALTIMORE, MD—The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has announced grants totaling $2.1 million that will fund local government and land trust initiatives to protect land, expand recreational opportunities, and promote healthy outdoor lifestyles.

The grants were approved by the state’s Board of Public Works and will support three projects, including the acquisition of 4.3 acres to expand the Brunswick Sports Complex in Frederick County, the installation of a shade structure and digital football scoreboard in Worcester County, and the construction of a new pavilion and other enhancements at Marshy Point Park in Baltimore County.

The state’s Program Open Space — Local program provides funding to local governments and land trusts for the planning, acquisition, and development of recreational land and facilities. The program supports the protection of open space, the acquisition of land for parks, and the development of community spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy.

“Program Open Space continues to leverage state money with local support for recreation facilities in our communities,” said Hilary Bell, Director of Land Acquisition and Planning for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. “These projects in turn provide Marylanders with proven health benefits for citizens, protection of open space from development, and investment in our local economies.”

In addition to the grants announced Wednesday, the state awarded $635,000 in Rural Legacy funding to two separate conservation easements totaling 148 acres. The easements will permanently protect forests that connect more than a mile in length along the Chesapeake Bay watershed in Carroll County and Cecil County.

The state established the Rural Legacy Program in 1997 to conserve large working landscapes across 35 locally designated areas throughout Maryland. The program supports local government and land trust initiatives to acquisition and development of recreational land and promote healthy outdoor lifestyles.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.