Kamenetz Announces Land Preservation Milestone
County Preserved 60,000 Acres of Rural Land
Towson, Md. (February 10, 2012) - County Executive Kamenetz announced today that the County has preserved 60,000 acres of rural and agricultural land, reaching 75 percent of its ambitious goal of permanently preserving 80,000 acres. Baltimore County is recognized as a national leader for its commitment to Smart Growth, and land preservation is one of the cornerstones of its efforts. Preserving undeveloped green space is one of the most effective ways to protect drinking water supplies as well as the quality of the streams and rivers that flow into the Chesapeake Bay.
Commitment to Land Preservation
Since entering office County Executive Kamenetz has maintained his commitment to land preservation. Landowners in Baltimore County preserved over 1,200 acres in 2011 through the variety of programs available for the permanent protection of farmland, woodland, streams and coastline. "As a County Councilman and now as County Executive, I understand the tremendous value of conserving our rural lands both to preserve our agricultural heritage and to protect our natural resources," Kamenetz said. "I am very proud of our nationally recognized success in preserving valuable open lands, and truly appreciate the personal commitment that hundreds of landowners have made to this important effort."
The County Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability manages the County's land preservation initiative, utilizing a number of different programs and employing matching funds from both the state and federal government. "The County has shown great foresight in the protection of land, especially farmland, through easements," said Program Manager Wally Lippincott Jr. "We are now really seeing the benefits of this commitment, particularly given the recent focus on locally grown food and increased efforts to protect water quality."
"My colleagues on the County Council and I are committed to reaching the goal of preserving 80,000 acres of open space in Baltimore County," said County Council Chairwoman Vicki Almond. "This ambitious program is good for our County, our communities and our environment."
Farmland Protected
The County preserved 900 acres of farmland utilizing Baltimore County, state and federal land preservation programs. The farms ranged in size from 22 acres to more than 100 acres and the operations ranged from production of local produce and meats for farmers' markets to production of grain for livestock and export. Gail Ensor, Chairperson of the County's Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Board said, "We are pleased that the County protected 28 properties and preserved an additional 1,200 acres in 2011 in a time when it was difficult for many other jurisdictions around the state to continue supporting preservation of land and water quality. This shows that Baltimore County still has a strong commitment to the farm and rural communities to protect farmland, to support food production and to maintain local jobs."
The County used grants from the state and the Federal Farm and Ranch Protection Program. This program is funded through the Farm Bill and administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Jon F. Hall, USDA-NRCS State Conservationist said, "I congratulate Baltimore County on reaching a major milestone in protecting agricultural lands. Our collaborative partnership of staff and financial resources enabled us to support the protection of more farmlands than we could have ever done alone. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is looking forward to being part of the continued effort to protect Maryland farmland."
Private Sector Support
County Executive Kamenetz has continued to support the role of the private sector in the County's preservation program. The key vehicle for private sector involvement is through the County's five land trusts and their umbrella organization, the Baltimore County Land Trust Alliance. The land trusts compete with other land trusts from around the state to obtain Maryland Rural Legacy Funds and work extensively with landowners and the Maryland Environmental Trust to encourage landowners to donate easements. Using both of those vehicles, land trusts preserved 400 of the 1,200 total acres protected in 2011. Ned Halle, Vice President of Land Preservation Trust said, "In 2011, Baltimore County continued to build its inventory of preserved farmland validating the foresight of the County planners and the significant contributions of both the public and private sectors."
The preserved lands span the County, including woodlands on the Back River Neck Peninsula, crop farms, working forests, horse farms, wildlife areas and large crop production farms near the Pennsylvania border. The purpose of these programs is to protect farmland from development and ensure that agriculture continues as a viable industry in Baltimore County; and to protect forests, wetlands and other environmentally sensitive areas in perpetuity.
