Governor O'Malley Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Maryland's Rural Legacy Program
Announces $22 Million in Proposed Rural Legacy Allocations;
Funding allocated to 21 Counties will preserve forest and farmland
UPPERCO, MD (March 14, 2008) – Governor Martin O’Malley celebrated the 10 -year anniversary of the State’s nationally renowned Rural Legacy Program and announced nearly $22 million in grants to local governments and land trusts for preservation of forest and farmland across Maryland. The Governor made the announcement from the Wisner Family Farm in Baltimore County, overlooking a vast scenic rural landscape that has been preserved through state and local land conservation programs.
“Rural Legacy and other state land conservation programs help protect and preserve lands, protect our quality of life, our greatest strength, and take responsibility for building a more sustainable tomorrow,” said Governor O’Malley. “Thank you for all for helping to lead this effort to preserve this incredible legacy that we will leave for our children and our grandchildren.”
Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith, Land Preservation Trust Vice President Ned Halle, and numerous other business, community and conservation leaders joined the Governor for the announcement.
“We appreciate Governor O’Malley’s diligence in maintaining the State’s commitment to preserving this irreplaceable rural acreage,” said Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith. “Preservation of each of these farms has immense value in protecting our watersheds that drain into the Chesapeake Bay, as well as sustaining the county’s $300 million agriculture industry.”
Maryland’s Rural Legacy Program provides funding to preserve large, contiguous tracts of land and to enhance natural resource, agricultural, forestry and environmental protection while supporting a sustainable land base for natural resource based industries. The program creates public-private partnerships and allows those who know the landscape best – land trusts and local governments – to determine the best way to protect the landscapes that are critical to our economy, environment and quality of life.
“This program is unique in that it encourages local governments and land trusts to work together and determine how best to protect their vital working landscapes,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary and Rural Legacy Board Chair John R. Griffin, who played a key role in development of the program. “It’s a well regarded and popular program that supports Governor O’Malley’s plan to target our limited land preservation resources.”
“The Land Preservation Trust, as the local representative for the Piney Run Rural Legacy Area, is excited by the support of the Governor, who clearly understands the direct connection between preservation of Maryland’s farmland and the vibrancy of our cities and towns – both sides of the smart growth coin,” said Land Preservation Trust Vice President Ned Halle.
Under Governor’s BayStat Initiative, land conservation investments are targeted to protect the most ecologically valuable properties that most directly impact Chesapeake Bay and local waterway health.
This year’s proposed allocations include $21,022,365 in FY ’08 funds as well as $928,404 in reallocated funding from expired grants. The grant recommendations also include requests to designate the new, 23,000-acre Dividing Creek Rural Legacy Area (RLA) and to expand the boundaries of two existing RLAs located in Queen Anne’s County – by a cumulative total of 7,079 acres. With these additions, there will be 30 designated Rural Legacy Areas, encompassing 671,571 acres, in 22 counties throughout the State.
Enacted by the General Assembly in 1997, Maryland’s Rural Legacy Program has to date provided over $163 million to preserve 58,217 acres of valuable farmland, forests, and natural areas.
The 11-member Rural Legacy Advisory Committee and the Rural Legacy Board, which is comprised of Maryland’s Agriculture, Natural Resources and Planning Secretaries, review grant applications annually.
[ View proposed FY ’08 Rural Legacy Program grant awards ]
(scheduled to go before the Board of Public Works next month for final approval)
