What’s Up With Eastern Shore Land Preservation?
By Jane McConnel
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. —Native American proverb
So what is up with land conservation and preservation on the Eastern Shore? A lot, actually! In recent years, this side of the Bay has increasingly become a magnet for retirees, new families, and those looking for a second home in the land of pleasant living. Growth management and responsible development are hot social and political issues in all counties on the Eastern Shore. While federal, state, and local governments are actively involved in planning and facilitating land conservation, many of Maryland’s almost 50 land trusts—not-for-profit organizations that purchase land, acquire land through donations, secure conservation easements on land, and partner with government and private agencies to conserve land—are active, powerful, and vital factors on the Shore.
“Keeping the Eastern Shore green and ensuring that land will be protected from unwanted development has turned into a collaborative effort by many people and agencies,” according to Rick Towle, Director of Talbot County’s Department of Parks and Recreation. He’s right. From the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to the Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage, assistance is available to counties and individuals interested in the protection of our natural resources. Land-preservation programs include farms set in easement that prohibit any future development, even when passed to new ownership, and both privately and publicly owned land designated for the preservation of natural habitats and greenways for public use.
The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) is a nonprofit agency that operates in the six Upper Shore counties: Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Talbot, and Dorchester. The ESLC has been vital to the conservation of over 40,000 acres of farmland. Generous tax benefits and other compensation through the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation have made preservation of the Shore’s agricultural heritage possible. In 2007, more land was placed in conservation than ever before. This was due to what Meredith Lathbury, Director of Land Conservation for the ESLC, likened to the perfect storm. “First, a bump in additional federal benefits for those putting their land in easements was due to expire at the end of the year, and then the depressed housing market saw an increase in the interest of local farm owners to protect their farms from future development,” according to Lathbury. Three farms set in easement in the past year were the Kenzie property in Talbot County, consisting of 78 acres of woodlands; the Lindon family farm in Dorchester County, containing 323 acres of forest habitat; and the 400-acre Airendale Farm in Queen Anne’s County.
So just how do conservation efforts in each county compare? It’s actually quite a compilation of efforts that are working together to keep the Eastern Shore green and beautiful—a good place for wildlife and people alike. Here’s a rundown of some of the wonderful things happening in counties on the Upper Shore:
In Talbot County, well over a thousand acres are sheltered in municipal and state parks.
“There are over 50 sites in parks, ball fields, and public landings alone,” Towle volunteered in a discussion about county efforts. Then there are 29 acres west of St. Michaels, owned and managed by the Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage in an effort to reestablish natural forest. One hundred and thirty-five acres, 25 of which are wetlands, were recently set aside on Baileys Neck Road. The ESLC has even been working to help the South Street Neighborhood Association acquire a small plot of land in Easton to be used as a community garden. The 400-acre Pickering Creek Audubon Center and the 950-acre Jean Ellen duPont Shehan Audubon Sanctuary both provide protection to fields, forests, wetlands, and waterways. Public education and enjoyment are possible through access to these centers. In contrast, the Department of Parks and Recreation recently acquired 67 acres of land on Lewiston Road, but public access is restricted due to the land’s particularly sensitive nature—wetlands often are unsuitable for disruption, no matter how slight.
Kent County has nearly 6,000 acres of parks and public land, with an additional 1,700 acres in private preservation. The Upper Chester River and Eastern Neck Island Water Trail provide public access to county waterways, including those surrounding the 2,200-plus-acre Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge, which encompasses 1,000 acres of marshland, 600 acres of cropland, 500 acres of forest, and 100 acres of grassland. The county has set a goal of establishing contiguous greenways that will preserve corridors of land. Carla Gerber of the Kent County Department of Planning and Zoning relates that, “Interest in land preservation is always very high in Kent County. There is greater interest than money available.”
Caroline County can boast the acquisition of more farmland easements through the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation in 2007 than all but one other county in the state. Fifty-six parcels were placed in easement alone last year, bringing the total acres in land easement in the county to 22,000. Caroline County has sought to preserve its forests (which comprise 30 percent of the county’s land) through publicly owned land at Tuckahoe State Park, Idylwild Wildlife Management Area, and the 400- acre, privately operated Adkins Arboretum. Additionally, several greenways and rails-to-trails are found in Caroline County, including the Upper Choptank River Greenway, Hillsboro Trail, Denton Municipal Greenway, and the 3,000-acre Marshyhope Creek Wildlife Management Area, which is owned and operated by the Maryland DNR.
With the assistance of the DNR’s Rural Legacy Program, Dorchester County has preserved 3,200 acres on the Nanticoke River. The Nature Conservancy, in partnership with ESLC, has preserved an additional 1,300 acres of western shoreline on the river. Approximately 39 percent of Maryland’s wetlands are found in Dorchester County, making it an area critical to restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, as wetlands are the Bay’s great filter, not to mention a nursery for juvenile crabs and fish. They also provide a buffer against flooding and soil erosion. Therefore, it is only fitting that the 65,000-acre Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and 40,000-acre Taylor’s Island Wildlife Management Area are the largest sections of protected land in the Fishing Bay Greenway and Upper Shore. The Hurlock Trail, a recreation greenway, together with the Fishing Bay Water Trail and 400-acre Marshyhope Rural Legacy Focus Area, round out Dorchester County’s efforts to protect and preserve.
Queen Anne’s County continues to experience an expanding population due largely to its location, which offers an appealing Eastern Shore lifestyle with easy accessibility to points west of the Bay. However, of its nearly 240,000 acres, over 40,000 acres of farmland are permanently preserved and an additional 9,000-plus acres are privately owned and protected land. The Cross Island Trail Park is a 10-foot-wide paved path that allows hikers and bikers to travel from Love Point on the northern tip of Kent Island to Kent Narrows. Tuckahoe State Park is equally divided between Caroline and Queen Anne’s Counties, with the Tuckahoe Creek running through its center as a natural divide. There are over 12 miles of trails through the park, and 60 acres of lake and flooded woodland. The Wye Island Natural Resource Management Area, owned and managed by the DNR, protects over 2,500 acres of land with access to the Wye River. The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center sits on a 500-acre peninsula and includes six ponds, making it a top-notch place to do a little bird watching.
The parks, paths, recreational areas, greenways, open spaces, wildlife sanctuaries, and protected lands of Maryland’s Eastern Shore are helping to preserve the natural beauty of its rural landscape. Most residents will tell you that the quality of life on the Shore is directly linked to its natural resources. A watchful eye is being kept on development; after all, we have only borrowed this land from our children.