HAGERSTOWN– An 85.853-acre Washington County farm has been added to the more than 41,000 acres of permanently preserved land in the county, according to officials of the Washington County Division of Planning & Zoning.
The land preservation was procured through a Rural Legacy Program easement that was sold on a farm on Trego Road in Keedysville, county officials noted. The farm is an agricultural property plentiful in scenic, historic and natural characteristics.
The procurement of this easement has added to a block of thousands of acres of permanently preserved land in the area and will aide neighboring properties in their pursuit of permanent easements, they added.
The Rural Legacy Program, a key component of Washington County’s land preservation strategy, has been instrumental in safeguarding more than 9,000 acres of land, accounting for 22 percent of the county’s total permanent easements.
Farm owners in Washington County can apply for the Rural Legacy Program annually, with applications due by Jan. 31. The program focuses on preserving agricultural, historic and environmentally significant lands.
Washington County’s comprehensive land preservation strategy also includes a variety of other programs such as the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program and Program Open Space Stateside. Additional support comes from federal initiatives and partnerships with organizations such as the Maryland Environmental Trust, Antietam Battlefield Trust and Mid-Maryland Land Trust.
For more information about Washington County’s land preservation programs, readers may contact Chris Boggs, rural preservation administrator, at 240-313-2447 or via email at [email protected].
