Governor Moore Announces Maryland Achieves 30% of State Land Conservation Goal, Six Years Ahead of Schedule

Governor Moore Announces Maryland Achieves 30% of State Land Conservation Goal, Six Years Ahead of Schedule

May 15, 2024

Governor Wes Moore today announced that Maryland has met a major land conservation goal required by state law, six years ahead of schedule. The Maryland Department of Planning, in the latest update to the Maryland Conservation Lands Dashboard, reports that Maryland has already reached the 30% mark with more than 1.85 million acres of land conserved in FEBRUARY.

“From the forests of Maryland’s mountains to the coastal plains of the Eastern Shore, Maryland’s natural beauty must be protected. Land conservation is not an option, it is a prerequisite for success. said Governor Moore. “By acting in partnership, we achieve our goals ahead of schedule. But we know there is still much to do. I will work closely with state and local leaders to find as many opportunities as possible to add to the state’s growing portfolio of public and protected lands, so we can meet our 40% conservation goal by 2040.”

Land conservation means permanently protecting land from development through purchase, donation, easement, or royalty ownership in order to preserve the cultural, historical, ecological, or agricultural value of the land. The Maryland the Beautiful Act of 2023 established conservation goals of 30 percent of state lands by 2030 and 40 percent by 2040. Lands protected by state agencies, local governments, Nonprofit land trusts and the federal government all count toward this goal. Maryland’s total land area is approximately 6.1 million acres.

The state’s “30 by 30” goal is consistent with President Biden’s executive order that sets a goal of conserving at least 30 percent of the nation’s lands and waters by 2030. Lands Conserved in Maryland also count toward the Chesapeake Bay Accord’s goal of protecting additional acreage. two million acres of land throughout the watershed by 2025.

“Maryland has long been a leader in land conservation” said Josh Kurtz, secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. “Reaching 30 million by 2030 is a great example of what we can achieve by working in close partnership with all levels of government as well as the nonprofit and private sectors. This statewide effort protects working farms, forests and ecological resources, while also providing the public with essential access to open spaces throughout the state.

Maryland State conservation programs and operations include the Open Space Program, the Rural Legacy Program, the Maryland Environmental Trust, and the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation. A critical component of implementing these programs is strong partnerships with local governments, nonprofit land trusts, and willing landowners throughout the state. Maryland also works closely with federal partner agencies to secure grants and advance major landscape protection initiatives.

The Department of Natural Resources’ public lands portfolio constitutes the largest area of ​​protected lands, at 502,307 acres, or approximately 33 percent of Maryland’s total protected lands. The second largest tract includes 361,746 acres of land protected by the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, while the third largest tract is comprised of 236,590 acres of private land to which development rights have either been transferred or sold in part of the county’s preservation programs. The State Department of Planning tracks land conservation statistics and updates the numbers through a dashboard on its website.

“As a national leader in smart growth land use policies, the Maryland Department of Planning has been a partner in land conservation activities through compact development and growth strategies across the state » said Maryland Department of Planning Secretary Rebecca Flora, AICP. “The results of these and other interagency conservation strategies are well documented in our Maryland Protected Lands Dashboard, which tracks progress toward our shared goals.

The Department of Agriculture primarily conserves land through its Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, which purchases easements that permanently restrict development of prime agricultural and forested lands. Easements allow farmers to continue agricultural activities on conserved land, but generally prohibit subdividing the land for residential purposes.

“The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation does incredible work preserving farmland across the state” said Maryland Department of Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks. “Keeping farmland in production ensures that future generations of Marylanders will continue to have access to fresh, local food while supporting the state’s number one industry.” Achieving this goal demonstrates our commitment to preserving our state’s beautiful and economically productive landscape.

Achieving this goal was also made possible through the extensive efforts of Maryland land conservation organizations, including those that make up Partners for Open Space. Land trusts and conservation organizations help raise private funds to conserve properties and connect private landowners who want to preserve their land with the government resources that make that possible.

“Land conservation is about working together to ensure a future characterized by local food, healthy ecosystems, vibrant biodiversity, clean water, carbon sequestration, connected communities, open spaces for mental well-being and physics and much more. » said Owen Bailey, president of Partners for Open Space. “Reaching this 30 percent milestone speaks volumes about the effectiveness of Maryland’s conservation community, but reaching 40 percent by 2040 will require an even deeper commitment from our state’s valued conservation partners.

Now that the state has reached the 30% land conservation goal, state agencies are developing plans to reach the 40% goal by 2040, requiring the state to conserve 600,000 acres additional.

Landowners who wish to sell, donate, or place a conservation easement on their property to protect their land for future generations should consider options offered by the following agencies and offices:

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