HAGERSTOWN – Officials of the Washington County Division of Planning & Zoning have announced the recent preservation of a 53.62-acre farm in Boonsboro, approaching nearly 43,000 acres of permanently preserved land in the County.
The easement, which was settled on Aug. 5, was secured through the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation program with joint funding from both the county and state. The preserved farm, located on Barnes Road in Boonsboro, is used entirely for crop production and supports the owners’ neighboring dairy farming operation. This easement contributes to a growing block of permanently preserved land in the region and will support neighboring properties in securing their own permanent conservation status.
The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program is Washington County’s most prolific land preservation initiative, having preserved over 17,000 acres, which accounts for nearly 40 percent of all permanent conservation easements in the county. The program is administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture at the state level, and locally by the Land Preservation Office of the Washington County Department of Planning & Zoning.
MALPP is open to eligible farm owners annually, with applications due by July 1 of each year. Offers are typically extended the following March. The recently settled easement is part of the Fiscal Year 2024 application cycle and marks the 10th property from that cycle to complete the process.
Washington County’s land preservation efforts are comprehensive, encompassing a variety of programs that protect agricultural, historic, scenic, and environmentally significant lands. In addition to MALPP, these programs include:
- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources programs such as the Rural Legacy Program, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program and Program Open Space Stateside
- The County’s Installment Purchase Program
- Local forest conservation easements
- Federal programs such as the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program and Federal Scenic Easements
- Partner-supported easements through organizations like the Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation, the Maryland Environmental Trust, Antietam Battlefield Trust and Mid-Maryland Land Trust
While state programs have historically provided the majority of funding for these initiatives, Washington County has taken proactive steps in recent years to contribute additional local funding in support of long-term land conservation.
