HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Washington County has permanently preserved another 168 acres of farmland near Clear Spring, adding to a growing concentration of protected agricultural land in the western part of the county.
The long-established dairy farm on Broadfording Road was protected through a Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation easement, according to the Washington County Division of Planning & Zoning. The easement was funded jointly by county and state programs.
County officials said the property adjoins a large block of already protected farmland, making the preservation particularly valuable because it helps maintain a contiguous agricultural area and could support neighboring landowners seeking permanent easements of their own.
More than 44,000 acres preserved
The latest easement pushes Washington County’s permanently preserved land total further above 44,000 acres.
The Maryland foundation program remains the county’s largest land preservation effort, accounting for more than 17,000 acres, or nearly 40 percent of all permanent conservation easements in Washington County. The program purchases development rights from willing property owners while allowing the land to remain in agricultural use.
The Clear Spring property was included in the fiscal 2025 foundation application cycle and was the first property from that cycle to reach settlement.
The new easement follows several other significant preservation projects completed recently. In June, the county announced the preservation of a 69-acre Rohrersville property through another state program aimed at helping the next generation of farmers acquire agricultural land.
In July, another 257 acres near Sharpsburg were permanently protected through Maryland’s Rural Legacy Program. That project pushed the amount protected through Rural Legacy alone above 10,000 acres in Washington County.
Washington County uses a combination of state, federal, county and nonprofit programs to preserve agricultural and environmentally significant land. County officials said they have also increased local financial support for preservation efforts in recent years.
