The Manor Conservancy accepted the donation of an easement on 52 acres in December 2017. This easement adds to the 4,000 acres of land The Manor Conservancy has already preserved, eliminating a development right, protecting natural resources, and 
preserving the rural viewscape. We’re grateful to the Maryland Environmental Trust, our co-holders on this easement, and to the landowners for demonstrating their commitment to land preservation. We expect to preserve at least 120 more acres this year with the help of our partners at MET and the Department of Natural Resources.
Since Bill 37-17 was passed by Baltimore County Council last summer, applications for special exceptions have been submitted; an administrative law judge has heard several cases and granted the special exceptions for several installations, including one on Hanover Road, one on Middletown Road, and another on Graystone Road. While
the current bill limits the size and number of these installations, we’re concerned about the effects of any installation on our natural resources, views, and agricultural traditions. If you share these concerns and would like to help support the community groups that are appealing the special exceptions, please contact us so we can put you in touch.
Save the Date for our Calcutta
Mark your calendars – our annual Calcutta fundraiser will be held on April 13 at the Elkridge-Harford Hunt Club. That’s right, you can try your luck on Friday the 13th! We’ll be posting more details as they become available.
The deadline for submitting an application to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation for an easement on farmland is May 1. This program currently accepts applications every other year, so if you don’t apply now you’ll have to wait until 2020 for another chance. We’re happy to help with applications; just give us a call.
A generous grant has allowed us to match up to $100,000 in contributions to the Iglehart Fund. So far we’ve been able to match nearly $15,000! The Iglehart Fund is earmarked to purchase land that is imminently threatened by development. The land is preserved and then sold, with the proceeds returned to the Fund. Our matching fund is a wonderful opportunity to leverage donations -- get double the satisfaction of helping preserve land! To donate, please click here.
It's an election year, and we want to hear how Baltimore County Executive candidates plan to support land preservation. On April 26 the Baltimore County Land Trust Alliance will hold a "Coffee with the Candidates" to give the public a chance to hear from and ask questions of both Republican and Democratic candidates. Stay tuned for more details!
How can you support land preservation? Become a member of The Manor Conservancy! You'll be able to vote for our Board of Directors, participate in free "Field Trips", and take advantage of volunteer opportunities. Join a community of like-minded preservationists today!
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan's budget includes $52.9 million for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, good news for this program that targets Bay restoration and water quality. Also, transfer-tax funded programs, including Program Open Space, will receive $253 million, an increase of $67 million. Program Open Space includes the Rural Legacy Program, which awarded The Manor Conservancy $1,949,000 in October to purchase easements in The Manor Rural Legacy Area. This marks the first time since 2008 that no funding for transfer tax programs is being diverted to the General Fund.
All this is great news for land preservation in Maryland. We're encouraged by the commitment Maryland has shown to limiting pressure on our natural resources and leaving a lasting legacy for future generations.
