Land With Forests, Vernal Pools Added To Anita C. Leight Estuary Center In Abingdon

ABINGDON, MD — The Anita C. Leight Estuary Center grew a bit bigger recently after buying a 21.6-acre parcel from the Harford Land Trust.

The ACLEC functions as a conversation and outdoor education center along Otter Point Creek. The property is comprised of forests, vernal pools and a wide variety of wildlife, which will now help supplement environmental research and programming at ACLEC.

Subscribe

A developer had planned to build townhomes on the land that was previously purchased from a company called Stancills, which managed a gravel and salt pit on the smaller parcel. The former pit has been reforested over the years, and the property claims a rich coastal plain habitat that supports many different species of native plants and animals.

The recently bought property includes two parcels that sit across the street from the Estuary Center and are bordered by Otter Point Road, Harford Boat Club Road and Abingdon Beach Road. The smaller, 7.9-acre parcel is directly across from ACLEC, while the larger 13.6-acre parcel sits on the east side of a BGE powerline corridor that separates the property.

"We are excited to purchase this beautiful land, which was once planned for development and will now join our existing county park at the Anita C. Leight Estuary Center," said Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly. "The additional forested areas will enhance the visitor experience and support research at the center as they continue to protect our precious natural environment."

The forest contains a variety of trees like White Oak, Sweetgum, White Pine and Red Oak, among others. It also is home to several vernal pools, which are depressions in the ground that fill with water seasonally and provide habitat to many species, especially reptiles and amphibians.

The transaction was made possible by the Harford Forest Conservation Program (HFCP), a partnership between HLT and Harford County Department of Public Works with the goal of preserving water quality by protecting forests at risk of development. The HFCP helps Harford County achieve compliance with runoff reduction standards and helps reduce the amount of pollutants entering the Chesapeake Bay. The partnership is the first of its kind in the state.

"Otter Point Creek and its surrounding open spaces provide irreplaceable habitat for wildlife and amazing recreation opportunities for Harford County families," said Kristin Kirkwood, executive director at HLT. "Expanding a beloved park in a highly developed area of the county makes this success all the more important."

The HLT last helped expand the ACLEC in 2001 with the purchase of a 32-acre property bordering the center and transferred it to Harford County's Department of Parks and Recreation.