HAGERSTOWN, MD- The Washington County Board of County Commissioners is currently seeking applicants interested in serving on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. The committee’s role is to advise the Board of County Commissioners of Washington County, Maryland on public policy relating to diversity, promote the involvement of diverse groups in business and community affairs, and advocate services and programs relating to the quality of life for all County residents. It shall be comprised of seven individual voting members and three non-voting, ex-official members, with the seven individual members being volunteer, private citizen residents of Washington County, Maryland who have an interest in cultural and community outreach and political and economic empowerment. Members of the Committee may serve two (2), three (3) year terms, and the Committee meets on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at 100 West Washington Street, Suite 1301, Hagerstown, MD 21740 (subject to change).
In addition, the Washington County Department of Planning & Zoning is currently accepting applications for its Agricultural Land Preservation District (Ag District) Program, Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program (MALPP), Rural Legacy Program (RLP), and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) easement program. The Ag District program is a 10-year agreement between the landowner and the County that the land will stay in agriculture for those 10 years. The MALPP program is a permanent easement program that pays landowners to put their properties under a conservation easement in perpetuity. RLP is another permanent easement program paying landowners to preserve their properties in perpetuity for a lump sum payment at settlement. CREP easements are also perpetual easements that piggy-back off of the USDA Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) CREP Contract Program. If you are a landowner interested in pursuing one of the above land preservation programs, the County is currently accepting applications.