ANNAPOLIS, MD—To help preserve historical and natural resources, the Maryland Board of Public Works has approved $6 million in funding to local governments and land trusts to acquire easements on seven properties across the state.

The funding will help to protect 975 acres of land, including 289 acres in the Agricultural Security Corridor in Cecil County, 195 acres of farmland in the Mountain Ridge Rural Legacy Area in Allegany County, 186 acres in the Harriet Tubman Rural Legacy Area in Dorchester County, 100 acres in the Nanticoke Rural Legacy Area in Dorchester County, 202 acres in the Upper Patuxent River Watershed Rural Legacy Area in Montgomery County, and two farms totaling 143 acres in the Mid-Maryland Washington Rural Legacy Area in Washington County.

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

The Program Open Space acquisition includes local and state funded programs that aim to provide exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities for all citizens while also conserving natural resources.

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