ANNAPOLIS, MD—The Rural Legacy Program is celebrating 25 years of conservation success, preserving over 125,000 acres of land in Maryland. The program was created to encourage local governments and land trusts to work together to protect ecologically valuable properties, farms, and forests.

The Maryland General Assembly approved the program in 1997, and it’s credited with saving taxpayers $405 million. The program uses partnerships to acquire land, and the money from those partnerships is paid to local governments and land trusts.

One of the most successful Rural Legacy areas is the Piney Run Watershed in northern Baltimore County. The program has helped to create a contiguous easement block of over 22,000 acres, which is now home to a healthy forest and farm community.

“The beauty of the program is that it allows neighbors to reach out to neighbors and in doing so preserve large contiguous blocks of farms and forestlands,” said Ann Jones, who has helped run the Piney Run Watershed Rural Legacy Area for 25 years. “No other program provides either the geographic focus or the sense of community provided by the Rural Legacy Program.”

Also at this week’s Board of Public Works meeting, Fiscal Year 2025 funds for $15.3 million in Rural Legacy grant awards were approved for 14 Rural Legacy areas, which includes the creation of one new Rural Legacy Area and expands the boundaries of three existing ones.

“Maryland is a national leader in land conservation, and with each Rural Legacy Program easement acquisition we underscore the state’s commitment to protecting our natural resources, wildlife habitats, and resource-based industries,” said Governor Wes Moore. “By working with our partners, we continue to preserve open space, safeguard our agricultural heritage, and ensure a sustainable environment for future generations.”

“We are grateful to our partners–15 county governments and 11 land trusts–for their steadfast commitment in working directly with the landowners to achieve their conservation goals,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz. “We also commend the landowners for their collective dedication in preserving their property in perpetuity for the future of Maryland.”

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

Photo via the Maryland Governor’s Office