Baltimore County Permanently Preserves 23-Acre Farm through County Rural Legacy Program 

December 2, 2021

In the latest effort to support land preservation, County Executive Johnny Olszewski today announced the County will permanently preserve a 23-acre farm in the Piney Run Rural Legacy Area in northwest Baltimore County—the first easement funded through the County’s Rural Legacy program since 2015.
 
The easement on the 23-acre farm protects the agricultural land which currently include pasture and woodlands. By protecting the land in perpetuity, the County will help preserve the water quality of Piney Run and the view from Mt. Zion Road, a Baltimore County Scenic Route.

“Ensuring the permanent preservation of this farmland supports Baltimore County’s rich rural legacy for generations to come,” Olszewski said. “Our administration has made land preservation a key priority and this latest effort further supports our ongoing commitment to protecting land across Baltimore County.”

The Baltimore County Department of Planning administers the County-funded Rural Legacy program, which complements a state program, and works with area sponsors to identify projects and work with interested landowners to protect their lands through the voluntary program.

Baltimore County currently maintains five state-approved Rural Legacy areas: Coastal, Gunpowder, Long Green, Manor, and Piney Run. Individual Rural Legacy areas are administered by local land trusts.

Baltimore County is a leader in land preservation in the nation with over 68,000 acres preserved to date.
 
Baltimore County Organizations Awarded over $3.8 Million in State Grants to Support  County’s Rural Land Preservation Goals

In addition, the Department of Planning today announced that four Rural Legacy Areas Sponsors in Baltimore County were awarded an additional $3.8 million in state grants, which will support the Olszewski administration’s commitment to land preservation.
 
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Rural Legacy Program officially awarded the following grant funds:

  • $1,271,000 to the Long Green Land Trust to support Baltimore County’s Long Green Rural Legacy Area;
  • $1,062,000 to the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy to support Baltimore County’s Gunpowder Rural Legacy Area;
  • $1,013,208 to the Land Preservation Trust to support Baltimore County’s Piney Run Rural Legacy Area; and
  • $498,311  to the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy and Baltimore County government to support Baltimore County’s Coastal Rural Legacy Area

Created in 1997 by the Maryland General Assembly, Maryland’s Rural Legacy Program aims to protect large blocks of rural lands to enhance natural resource, agricultural, forestry and environmental protection while supporting a sustainable land base for natural resource based industries.

These new state grant funds will be utilized by each individual Rural Legacy Areas Sponsor to work with willing landowners to permanently conserve qualifying lands within their areas, and will support Baltimore County’s ongoing commitment to land preservation.

“The Baltimore County Department of Planning team has done an outstanding job working with property owners, land trusts, and our state partners to preserve and protect more land across our county,” Baltimore County Director of Planning Steve Lafferty said. “Their ongoing efforts are essential as we continue to work towards meeting our land preservation goals.”

Landowners interested in preserving their lands through either donations or selling development rights, please go to https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/agencies/planning/landpreservation for information on programs and applications.

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