“Conservation easements offer immeasurable benefits to Maryland’s residents, visitors, watersheds and wildlife by protecting the culture, environment, and history of our rural communities, while also enabling landowners to continue to own and use their property for agricultural production and personal enjoyment,” said Governor O’Malley. “The success of Maryland’s nationally recognized Rural Legacy Program would not be possible without our partnership with local governments, land trusts and private landowners. We appreciate and applaud their continued commitment to protecting the character and health of our rural communities for current and future generations.”

On Wednesday, April 30, the Board of Public Works (BPW) approved the purchase of two conservation easements located in the Mid-Maryland Washington Rural Legacy Area with $958,253.64 of Rural Legacy funds. The two easements will preserve 203.9 acres near Antietam Battlefield in Washington County. In addition to permanently protecting the land and viewshed from development, the easements also preserve riparian buffers of streams on the properties, which helps protect the water quality of the Potomac River and health of the Chesapeake Bay. The easements will be held by Washington County.

The BPW also approved the purchase of two conservation easements located in Baltimore County. A 37.5+ acre conservation easement located within the Long Green Valley Rural Legacy Area will preserve agricultural land while adding to a large block of previously protected land. Additionally, permanent preservation of riparian buffers along more than 2,200 feet of streams on the property that feed into the Loch Raven Reservoir will protect water quality. The easement purchased for $285,869.44 of Rural Legacy funds will be held cooperatively by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Long Green Valley Conservancy, Inc.

The second conservation easement purchased in Baltimore County with $937,400.69 of Rural Legacy funds permanently preserves 136.7+ acres of agricultural and woodlands. Adding to more than 12,000 acres of preserved land within the Piney Run Watershed Rural Legacy Area, the easement also permanently protects riparian buffers of streams on the property that feed into McGill Run and ultimately Loch Raven Reservoir. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Land Preservation Trust will cooperatively hold the easement.

Since 1997, Maryland’s Rural Legacy Program has provided funding to preserve 58,595 acres of forest and farmland throughout the state to protect the rural character of our communities from sprawl development.

Chaired by Governor O’Malley, the Board of Public Works is also comprised of Treasurer Nancy Kopp and Comptroller Peter Franchot. The Board is authorized by the General Assembly to approve major construction and consultant contracts, equipment purchases, property transactions and other procurement actions.