New Howard County Land Conservation Program First Of Its Kind In Maryland

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A new land conservation program with the Howard County Conservancy that is the first of its kind in the state of Maryland has been announced.

Howard County Executive Ball has committed $2 million towards the purchased conservation easement pilot program, which will specifically target non-profit property owners and provide financial incentives to preserve environmentally significant properties permanently.

“We will always look for bold solutions, backed by science, to combat climate change and preserve Howard County’s legacy for future generations,” Ball said at a news conference. “We now have a new tool to identify sensitive land and preserve it for the future. This program should become a national model to assist the non-profit community in making the best decisions for our shared future.”

The program is modeled after the county’s Agricultural Preservation Program, which has been the driving force in preserving nearly 23,000 acres of farmland in the past 40 years. Ball relaunched the program in 2019 and since then, Howard County has secured the preservation of the 128-acre Dickey Farm. There now are seven properties, including the Dickey Farm, now in the Agricultural Preservation Program or in the acquisition pipeline, totaling more than 300 acres.

In 2020, the county purchased the Savage Remainder Property, which removed 35 units of proposed residential development and preserving sensitive ecological land for recreation and open space. Last month, Ball signed a purchase agreement to acquire the nearly 21-acre Camp Ilchester property, which spared another 105 units of potential residential development.

The $2 million commitment to the purchased conservation easement program was approved by the County Council in May.

"This program makes environmental preservation a viable option for properties that previously did not qualify for conservation programs,” Howard County Conservancy Executive Director Meg Boyd said.

“Preservation is core to our mission and the reason the Conservancy was founded 32 years ago by a group of concerned citizens,” added Howard County Conservancy Board Vice Chair Lisa Marini.