LandsofAmerica.com - Land Resources / News / Md. Might Tighten Rules for Buying Land
#1 in Land for Sale Online
Land ID Search
International Paper Timberland for Sale
Click Below to Find a Farm or Ranch for Sale
America
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

Land for Sale
sort by
Most Popular
Most Expensive
Most Acreage

Land Resources / News / Md. Might Tighten Rules for Buying Land
Md. Might Tighten Rules for Buying Land (complete article from source)
Source: The Washington Post, by John Wagner
August 22, 2007
Environmental Benefits Would Get Added Emphasis

The administration of Gov. Martin O'Malley will propose several steps today designed to make tens of millions of dollars a year in state land conservation purchases more systematic and more transparent.

The move comes at a time when Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) and others have criticized the price and the process that led to some recent multimillion-dollar acquisitions under the state's four-decade-old Program Open Space.

Natural Resources Secretary John R. Griffin is scheduled to present the new guidelines, which call for ranking proposed acquisitions by their environmental benefits, to the Board of Public Works this morning. Both O'Malley (D) and Franchot sit on the three-member board, which approves land purchases and state contracts, along with Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp (D).

"We have developed a much more rigorous and quantitative approach based on a variety of ecological criteria," said Eric Schwaab, deputy secretary of natural resources.

A draft "ranking protocol" obtained by The Washington Post awards points based on several other factors as well, including a property's potential recreation and historic value and its consistency with local land-use planning.

Schwaab said the department also wants to take a more active role in identifying land for conservation. Critics say the program relies too heavily on landowners coming forward to sell property, which can raise questions about political favoritism and sweetheart deals.

"There has been some advantage to having willing sellers come forward, and I don't think that will stop entirely," Schwaab said. "But we're going to try to shift the balance to proactively looking for purchases."

Since its inception in 1969, Program Open Space, which is funded by real-estate transfer taxes, has preserved almost 321,000 acres of natural lands and working farms for open space and recreation areas, officials said.

Schwaab said the O'Malley administration started working on the guidelines in February, well before Franchot and others raised questions about some recent acquisitions.

In one deal approved by the board this month on a 2 to 1 vote, the state is spending $7.2 million to acquire 74 acres along the Chesapeake Bay on Kent Island in Queen Anne's County. Officials envision a park with trails, hunting and boating access. The site now includes an industrial marina.

Franchot, who voted against the purchase, argued that the state is paying too much for the property, which will take years to restore to open space that can be enjoyed by the public. He also questioned whether the land, which was presented to the state by the seller, would be in danger of intense development if the state did not buy it.

An earlier acquisition in Queen Anne's County also drew scrutiny. The board voted unanimously to pay $4.6 million for a 271-acre farm in Grasonville, and the county contributed an additional $400,000. The total of $5 million exceeded two appraisals of the property's value.

Some state lawmakers raised questions about whether the owner -- a for-profit conservation company founded by David Sutherland, a member of the governor's transition team -- was able to secure a higher price from the state than necessary.

O'Malley administration officials have said that Sutherland was one of 1,100 members of the transition team, and O'Malley has said he does not know him. Sutherland also served as chairman of a gubernatorial commission under O'Malley's predecessor, Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R).



Click here for complete article from The Washington Post
Signup | Contact Us

View All Land, Farm, Ranch, and Waterfront Properties for Sale

Land for Sale | Alabama Land | Alaska Land | Arizona Land | Arkansas Land | California Land | Colorado Land | Connecticut Land | Delaware Land | Florida Land | Georgia Land | Hawaii Land | Idaho Land | Illinois Land | Indiana Land | Iowa Land | Kansas Land | Kentucky Land | Louisiana Land | Maine Land | Maryland Land | Massachusetts Land | Michigan Land | Minnesota Land | Mississippi Land | Missouri Land | Montana Land | Nebraska Land | Nevada Land | New Hampshire Land | New Jersey Land | New Mexico Land | New York Land | North Carolina Land | North Dakota Land | Ohio Land | Oklahoma Land | Oregon Land | Pennsylvania Land | Rhode Island Land | South Carolina Land | South Dakota Land | Tennessee Land | Texas Land | Utah Land | Vermont Land | Virginia Land | Washington Land | West Virginia Land | Wisconsin Land | Wyoming Land

Rural Homes for Sale | Alabama Homes | Alaska Homes | Arizona Homes | Arkansas Homes | California Homes | Colorado Homes | Connecticut Homes | Delaware Homes | Florida Homes | Georgia Homes | Hawaii Homes | Idaho Homes | Illinois Homes | Indiana Homes | Iowa Homes | Kansas Homes | Kentucky Homes | Louisiana Homes | Maine Homes | Maryland Homes | Massachusetts Homes | Michigan Homes | Minnesota Homes | Mississippi Homes | Missouri Homes | Montana Homes | Nebraska Homes | Nevada Homes | New Hampshire Homes | New Jersey Homes | New Mexico Homes | New York Homes | North Carolina Homes | North Dakota Homes | Ohio Homes | Oklahoma Homes | Oregon Homes | Pennsylvania Homes | Rhode Island Homes | South Carolina Homes | South Dakota Homes | Tennessee Homes | Texas Homes | Utah Homes | Vermont Homes | Virginia Homes | Washington Homes | West Virginia Homes | Wisconsin Homes | Wyoming Homes

Lake Houses for Sale | Alabama Lake Houses | Alaska Lake Houses | Arizona Lake Houses | Arkansas Lake Houses | California Lake Houses | Colorado Lake Houses | Connecticut Lake Houses | Delaware Lake Houses | Florida Lake Houses | Georgia Lake Houses | Hawaii Lake Houses | Idaho Lake Houses | Illinois Lake Houses | Indiana Lake Houses | Iowa Lake Houses | Kansas Lake Houses | Kentucky Lake Houses | Louisiana Lake Houses | Maine Lake Houses | Maryland Lake Houses | Massachusetts Lake Houses | Michigan Lake Houses | Minnesota Lake Houses | Mississippi Lake Houses | Missouri Lake Houses | Montana Lake Houses | Nebraska Lake Houses | Nevada Lake Houses | New Hampshire Lake Houses | New Jersey Lake Houses | New Mexico Lake Houses | New York Lake Houses | North Carolina Lake Houses | North Dakota Lake Houses | Ohio Lake Houses | Oklahoma Lake Houses | Oregon Lake Houses | Pennsylvania Lake Houses | Rhode Island Lake Houses | South Carolina Lake Houses | South Dakota Lake Houses | Tennessee Lake Houses | Texas Lake Houses | Utah Lake Houses | Vermont Lake Houses | Virginia Lake Houses | Washington Lake Houses | West Virginia Lake Houses | Wisconsin Lake Houses | Wyoming Lake Houses

Powered by LandsofAmerica.com
COPYRIGHT © 2003-Current, All Rights Reserved
Terms of Use