11-16-2022 4:31am

$MILLIONS FOR LOCAL

Baltimore County Rural Legacy Program To Receive $5.575 Million In State Funding

Credit: Maryland Department of Natural Resources

The Maryland Department of Public Works approved $27.1 million in state funding for the Rural Legacy Program. Baltimore County has been allotted the largest portion of this total, with $5.575 going toward Rural Legacy Areas (RLAs) in the county.

The Maryland DNR’s Rural Legacy Program is an initiative to preserve swaths of undeveloped land that are especially valuable for agricultural, forestry, environmental, and cultural resources.

County Executive Johnny Olszewski voiced his support for the initiative in a statement.

“Ensuring the permanent preservation of these open spaces supports Baltimore County’s rich rural legacy for generations to come,” Johnny O said. “Our administration has made land preservation a key priority, and approval by the Maryland Board of Public Works solidifies our ongoing commitment to protecting land across Baltimore County.”

Baltimore County is subdivided into five different Rural Legacy Areas

Coastal Rural Legacy Area: $2,081,689
Gunpowder Rural Legacy Area: $235,467
Long Green Rural Legacy Area: $994,001
Piney Run Rural Legacy Area: $1,597,310
Manor Rural Legacy Area: $666,611

Baltimore County is a leader in land preservation, with nearly 70,000 acres preserved. The county’s Coastal Rural Legacy area received the most funding of any of Maryland’s 35 Rural Legacy Areas. The area encompasses 15,433 acres of vital wetlands, forests, marshes, farmland, and habitat along the Upper Western Shore of the Chesapeake Bay.

According to Baltimore County Government, the Rural Legacy Areas provide an essential buffer between developed communities and the bay.

“The 109 miles of coastal area shoreline serves as an essential buffer area between urbanized portions of Baltimore County and the Bay. Significant progress has been made in protecting these areas, and if support continues, the long-term goal of protecting 11,700 acres can be achieved.”

For more information about the Rural Legacy Program, you can visit here.