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Baltimore County staff outline 80,000-acre preservation goal and current progress
Summary
Department of Planning official reviewed the county's land-preservation history, the 80,000-acre target for permanent protection, and the mix of state, county and donated easements that account for roughly 72,217 acres preserved to date.
Megan Benjamin, land preservation administrator in the Baltimore County Department of Planning, told a county "lunch and learn" that the county aims to protect at least 80,000 acres of farmland and forest in perpetuity and has so far conserved 72,217 acres.
Benjamin said the county's urban-rural demarcation line (IRDL) and successive master plans established a framework to concentrate infrastructure and growth inside the IRDL while prioritizing resource protection, including drinking-water supply, outside the line.
The goal to protect about 80,000 acres dates to a University of Maryland Extension study in the 1990s that estimated the land mass needed to maintain a viable agricultural economy, Benjamin said. She told attendees the county is currently in the mid-60s percent toward a related target to protect at least 80% of prime agricultural and forest lands inside designated ag-priority areas.
Benjamin laid out how permanent protection in Baltimore County is built from a mix of programs: the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF), county agricultural programs, donated easements held by Maryland Environmental Trust or local land trusts, State Rural Legacy areas, and regulatory conservancy zones (RC4, RC6). She said about 38% of the county's protected acreage is in MALPF easements, about 9% is protected via the county ag program, and roughly 28% comes from donated easements held by trusts.
She reviewed the policy and zoning history that supports preservation work: the IRDL (established in 1967), creation of rural zones (1975), downzonings and cluster-development rules from the 1990s, and state-mandated growth tiers from 2012. Benjamin also pointed attendees to the county's 2030 Master Plan, which contains action items in sections on the livable built environment and "harmony with nature" that guide preservation choices.
Benjamin noted the county leverages funds across sources: county allocations, state grants and programs, and private donations. She highlighted a broad coalition of partners that implement preservation in Baltimore County, including Manor Conservancy, NeighborSpace, Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, Long Green Land Trust, Land Preservation Trust, the Baltimore County Land Trust Coalition, Maryland Environmental Trust and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The presentation was informational; there were no formal votes or policy actions taken during the session. Benjamin provided contact information and directed attendees to the county's land preservation pages for more details and program-specific guidance.
Looking ahead, Benjamin said the county will continue to pursue a multi-pronged approach combining purchased easements, donated easements and regulatory tools to reach the 80,000-acre goal and to increase the share of prime agricultural and forest lands under permanent protection.
