HAGERSTOWN, MD (August 22, 2024) – The Washington County Planning and Zoning Department announced on August 16, 2024 that a 267,138-acre farm has been preserved, adding to the more than 40,000 acres of permanently preserved land in the county.

The easement was acquired through a Rural Legacy Program (RLP) easement that was sold on a farm on Shepherdstown Pike in Sharpsburg. The property is a large, scenic parcel just outside the city limits that includes both forest and farmland, as well as historic and natural resource features. Obtaining this easement has added a block of thousands of acres of permanently protected land in the area and will assist neighboring properties in applying for permanent easements.

RLP is one of the county’s premier land conservation programs, encompassing over 8,700 acres and 21% of the permanent easements in the county. It is funded and administered by the Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) and locally by the Land Preservation Office of the Washington County Department of Planning & Zoning. Each year, farm owners in the county can apply for this program, which focuses on preserving agriculturally, historically, and environmentally important lands in the county. This easement was part of the fiscal year 2023 cycle and is the last property of this cycle to have an easement settled. Easement applications must be submitted before January 31 of each year, and offers are typically renewed the following fall.

RLP is just one of many programs that make up Washington County’s land conservation strategy. Other programs include the Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and the county’s Project Open Space Stateside programs, Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program (MALPF), Installment Purchase Program (IPP), local forest conservation easements, federal Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) and Federal Scenic Easements, and easements through agencies such as MARBIDCO, Maryland Environmental Trust (MET), Antietam Battlefield Trust (ABT), Mid-Maryland Land Trust (MMLT), and others. While the majority of funding generally comes from state funding sources, the county itself has taken significant additional financial steps in recent years to strengthen its programs.

For more information about Washington County land conservation programs, please contact Chris Boggs, Rural Preservation Administrator, by phone at 240-313-2447 or email at (email protected).

###