FREDERICK, MD –Today the Maryland Board of Public Works approved $1.5 million in grants to Frederick County’s Mid-Maryland Frederick-Carrollton Manor Rural Legacy Area as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 Rural Legacy Program.
Maryland’s Rural Legacy Program provides the focus and funding necessary to protect and preserve large, contiguous tracts of rich agricultural and forested land from sprawling development. The program partners with local governments and private land trust sponsors across the state, who work with willing property owners to acquire conservation easements. The Maryland legislature appropriated approximately $26.2 million for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ program. Rural Legacy purchases conservation easements or fee simple interests in real property from willing property owners, based on Rural Legacy Plans that have been reviewed by the Rural Legacy Board.
To date, 6,717 acres have been permanently preserved in Frederick County through the Rural Legacy Program. In total, the Frederick County Agricultural Land Preservation Program has permanently preserved over 66,281 acres of land in the County.
Information about the Rural Legacy program, and about all of the agricultural preservation programs in the county, may be found by visiting the Ag Preservation webpage. For additional details, contact Program Administrator Anne Bradley at 301-600-1474 or via e-mail at abradley@frederickcountymd.gov.