FREDERICK, Md. – On August 23, 2023 the Maryland Board of Public Works approved a $3.135 million grant to Frederick County’s Mid-Maryland Frederick-Carrollton Manor Rural Legacy Area as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 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 $34.6 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, 7,324 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 71,919 acres of land in the County. “We are proud to have a program that permanently preserves land in our county,” said Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater. “Frederick has such a rich agricultural history and receiving this grant allows us to continue to preserve that history.”
Information about the Rural Legacy program and other County agricultural preservation programs is available on the Agricultural Preservation website. For additional details, contact Anne Bradley, Program Administrator, at 301-600-1474 or via e-mail at abradley@frederickcountymd.gov.
###