For those of you who may not be familiar with this most valuable agricultural preservation program, the Frederick County Rural Historic Preservation Grant Program helps fund rehabilitation, restoration, and preservation of historic properties located in the unincorporated areas of the county. Grants from the program are designed to preserve, protect, and enhance rural historic properties.

From the County’s press release on this matter in case you had missed it. "Maryland’s Rural Legacy Program provides the focus and funding necessary to protect and preserve large, contiguous tracts of rich agricultural and forested land from sprawling development. The program partners with local governments and private land trust sponsors across the state, who work with willing property owners to acquire conservation easements.

The Maryland legislature appropriated approximately $34.6 million for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ program. Rural Legacy purchases conservation easements or fee simple interests in real property from willing property owners, based on Rural Legacy Plans that have been reviewed by the Rural Legacy Board.

To date, 7,324 acres have been permanently preserved in Frederick County through the Rural Legacy Program. In total, the Frederick County Agricultural Land Preservation Program has permanently preserved over 71,919 acres of land in the County. County Executive Jessica Fitzwater has stated, "We are proud to have a program that permanently preserves land in our county."

Here is some additional information from the State website on this program.

The Rural Legacy Program provides the focus and funding necessary to protect large, contiguous tracts of land rich in natural and cultural resources from sprawl development. It also enhances natural resources, farms and forests through cooperative efforts among state and local governments and land trusts. Protection is provided through the acquisition of easements and fee simple estates from willing landowners and the supporting activities of Rural Legacy Sponsors and local governments. The Program is administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

The Rural Legacy Program was enacted by the 1997 Maryland General Assembly and signed into law May 22nd of that year.

The Rural Legacy Program was created to discourage sprawl development and protect areas for future generations to enjoy. The Program provides farmers and landowners an alternative to developing (or subdividing) their land or selling their property to developers. Under the Program they can sell or donate their development rights and still retain ownership to continue growing crops or raising livestock.

On the state level, the Rural Legacy Program is funded through a combination of Maryland Program Open Space dollars and general obligation bonds from the state’s capital budget. Local jurisdictions also contribute monies for a variety of land preservation efforts within these areas.

The Program encourages local governments and private land trusts to identify Rural Legacy Areas and to competitively apply for funds to complement existing land conservation efforts or create new ones. Local Sponsors must apply annually to the Rural Legacy Board for participation in the Program and to receive funding.

The Rural Legacy Advisory Committee reviews all applications and makes recommendations to the Rural Legacy Board. The Rural Legacy Board, in turn, reviews the applications each year and recommends to the Governor and Board of Public Works which Rural Legacy Areas will be designated and funded. The Board of Public Works designates the Rural Legacy Areas and approves the grants for Rural Legacy funding.

Information about the Rural Legacy program and other County agricultural preservation programs is available at www.frederickcountymd.gov/agricultural-preservation.

I believe in Frederick County’s rich agricultural history and wish to preserve and enhance as much of this vibrant part of our community as I can.

If there is ever anything I can do for you, please feel free to reach out to me and my office. You can contact me via email at: BYoung@FrederickCountyMD.gov, or you can call my office at 301-600-1108.