Chesapeake Heroes: An article series examining local organizations and citizens working toward a healthier environment.
Local conservation organizations work with public and private land owners to secure easements that protect farmland, forests, and waterfront property within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Photo courtesy ESLC.
From left to right: Blacks of the Chesapeake President & Founder Vince Leggett, Maryland State Director Bill Crouch and Chesapeake Conservancy President & CEO Joel Dunn. Photo by J.T. Dean/Chesapeake Conservancy.
When the City of Annapolis, the State of Maryland, Chesapeake Conservancy, and Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation (BOCF) entered into an agreement with The Conservation Fund in 2022 to acquire a parcel of land, they knew that they were establishing an enduring legacy. Known as Elktonia Beach, the five-acre waterfront parcel on the Chesapeake Bay is the last remnant of the original 180-acre property purchased by Fred Carr in 1902.
During the era of Jim Crow segregation, Carr’s and Sparrow’s Beaches, owned and operated by Carr’s daughters, Elizabeth Carr Smith and Florence Carr Sparrow, served as a beacon to the African American community—offering opportunities for leisure and recreation. Called “The Beaches,” they were a popular destination known for hosting concerts featuring legendary performers. Over time, most of the property was developed into housing or industrial projects. But Elktonia Beach, which had remained undisturbed, was finally ready to tell its story.
The acquisition of Elktonia Beach represents the culmination of efforts of several partners and elected officials working together not only to conserve a parcel of land but also to preserve its historical and cultural significance. The property, which was transferred to the City of Annapolis, will be transformed into a city waterfront park—allowing the community to learn more about African American heritage on the Chesapeake Bay.
“This is a dream come true,” says Vince Leggett, founder and president of BOCF. “African American leisure sites are not usually accessible, or they no longer exist. They are merely a push pin or a dot on a map. But Elktonia Beach is more than that; it’s the actual land. The preservation of Elktonia Beach as a city waterfront park will serve as a space to interpret the rich heritage of African Americans who sought recreation, leisure, entertainment, and a sense of community during the time of segregation.”
The August 2022 event celebrating the acquisition of Elktonia-Carr’s Beach. From left to right: Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman, Maryland Lt. Gov Boyd K. Rutherford, Blacks of the Chesapeake President and Founder Vincent Leggett, Chesapeake Conservancy President & CEO Joel Dunn, and Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley. Photo by Anne Delano Weathersby/Play Back Shots.
Success stories such as Elktonia Beach shine a light on land conservation—underscoring the importance of protecting open spaces and securing Maryland’s status as a leader in this critical effort. Comprised of a cadre of organizations, the mission of land conservation is to protect land from unnecessary development, preserve its natural, cultural, or historic significance, create greenspaces, such as pocket parks, community gardens, trails, and community woodlands, and promote the overall quality of life. Conserving land not only protects the health of the environment (climate mitigation, Bay restoration) but also promotes economic well-being within communities.
“Within the state of Maryland, there are many conservation organizations operating at different geographic scales, including watershed-wide, statewide, and local,” says Joel Dunn, president and CEO of Chesapeake Conservancy, a nonprofit Chesapeake Bay watershed-wide organization based in Annapolis and a co-convener of the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership. “All of these organizations dedicate their efforts to various segments of the broader landscape. They are generally focused on one or more complementary elements within that landscape, such as working lands, cultural resources, biodiversity, equity, or climate resilience. Collectively, they protect key parts of the landscape that provide core ecological functions.”
Importance of Land Conservation
Gary and Janet Garman with Sarah Knebel celebrating the recent conservation easement. Photo courtesy SRLT.
Land conservation is critical to ensuring healthy, thriving communities. Organizations work together to identify innovative ideas and solutions, match conservation goals with community needs, and strike a balance between open spaces and development. Protecting land from unnecessary development manages stormwater runoff, filters water, maintains water quality, cleans the air, protects wildlife habitat, and provides open spaces, such as parks and trails, for recreation.
“We have a responsibility to prioritize our natural resources and wildlife habitat,” says Steve Kline, president of Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC), Maryland’s largest private regional land trust, which serves a primarily rural/agricultural area spanning six counties on the Eastern Shore. “Otherwise, we risk the loss of essential resources. It’s a humbling experience to play a role in this effort and protect open spaces for the next generation.”
In addition to providing basic human necessities, such as crops for food and clean water, open spaces also improve mental well-being. Taking a walk in the woods, walking along the shoreline, and observing wildlife in its natural habitat are peaceful activities that allow people to enjoy the beauty of nature. Preserving historic parcels of land, such as Elktonia Beach, is also important because these properties teach valuable lessons about the past.
Recent Environmental Wins
The passage of three bills by the Maryland General Assembly in 2023 further energized the land conservation effort throughout the state. These environmental wins not only represent significant progress but also demonstrate Maryland’s commitment to protecting its land.
The Maryland the Beautiful Act will establish a statewide goal for Maryland to conserve 30 percent of its lands by 2030 and 40 percent by 2040 through voluntary conservation efforts. This legislation will also authorize a Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) grant program, the “40 x 40 Land Conservation Implementation Grant Program,” which will provide funding for capacity building for land trusts in Maryland.
The creation of a new grant program, the Greenspace Equity Program, will fund projects that will protect new lands for greenspace and improve existing greenspace for public use in underserved or overburdened communities.
The Forest Preservation and Retention Act, which amends the Forest Conservation Act (Maryland’s statewide forest conservation law), will modify the state’s current goals regarding forest preservation to protect priority forests and reduce fragmentation of forests.
“The passage of these bills is so exciting and really helps propel our mission,” says Sarah Knebel, executive director of Scenic Rivers Land Trust, a nationally accredited land trust and private nonprofit organization based in Annapolis that is dedicated to protecting forests, wetlands, farmlands, and other open spaces in Anne Arundel County. “I believe that the public is starting to realize the importance of land conservation. This legislation will help us work toward our land conservation goals of 30 by ’30 and 40 by ’40, create and improve greenspace, and protect forests. There is a renewed momentum to our mission and a sense of urgency that spurs us to act.”
These legislative wins are not the only sign of progress. According to a press release issued by the Chesapeake Bay Program on October 31, 2023, land conservation organizations are making significant gains. Based on current data, the program is on target to achieve its Protected Land Outcome, which protects land in the Chesapeake Bay watershed from development, by 2025. Data collected through 2022 indicates that nearly 1.64 million acres have been protected since 2010, achieving 82 percent of the Protected Land Outcome and bringing the total amount of protected land to 9.1 million acres.
Aerial image of the Garman property that abuts the still-operatable sawmill. Photo by Evann Magee, courtesy SRLT.
New signage denotes the Garman’s Crownsville property as protected. Photo courtesy SRLT.
Challenges of Land Conservation
The scope of land conservation is extensive, and organizations face major global challenges, including climate change, sea level rise, biodiversity loss, nutrient pollution, runoff, deforestation, invasive species, and other issues that impact the environment. In addition, land conservation organizations must also address challenges related to specific projects.
“No matter how big or small the geographic focus of a conservation organization, all projects are ultimately local and involve work at the individual parcel scale,” Dunn says. “Every acre protected is hard-earned. Sometimes a one-acre project can be just as difficult as a 1,000-acre project. Although the scale may differ, you need a willing seller, the parcel needs to be appraised, the purchase needs to be negotiated, the funding needs to be secured, and the transaction needs to be conducted. Also, in my experience, more urban projects tend to cost quite a bit more money per acre but also provide more benefits to more people.”
Challenges that land conservation organizations face vary, depending on where the land is located. Since Scenic Rivers operates in Anne Arundel County, a primarily suburban/urban area, land is very expensive. And due to the county’s close proximity to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., there is a lot of pressure to develop.
Knebel says that invasive plants are also a serious threat to Anne Arundel County forest ecosystems. Scenic Rivers’ Healthy Forests Program hosts public workdays for volunteers to remove invasive plants along the trails of Bacon Ridge Natural Area. To date, dozens of volunteers have helped remove nearly 3,000 pounds of invasive vines, shrubs, and grasses across 15 acres.
In contrast, agriculture, which is the largest commercial industry in Maryland, represents the lifeblood of the Eastern Shore. Preventing unnecessary development on big tracts of open space and farmland is critical to preserving the rural character of life.
The siting of commercial-scale solar projects on Eastern Shore farmland is a particularly urgent issue. As the General Assembly prepares for the 2024 legislative session, solar siting policy is a high priority as Maryland seeks to meet renewable energy goals, while continuing to advance land conservation. In fact, Kline recently referred to solar siting as “the Eastern Shore’s most urgent conservation need in 2024” in his president’s letter on ESLC’s website.
“Ground-mounted solar projects can run from a few dozen acres to several hundred,” says Kline. “The Eastern Shore has acres of generally flat agricultural land that is perfectly suited for solar energy generation. ESLC encourages state lawmakers to proceed with caution, and we advocate priority policies related to solar siting, including a solar mitigation fee per acre and policies to ensure that Eastern Shore counties aren’t expected to bear a disproportionate burden of solar development in the coming years.”
In addition to solar siting, increasing infrastructure is also a major concern on the Eastern Shore. To address this issue, ESLC recently partnered with a firm to determine the return on investment (ROI) of development proposals. The goal of the project, which is called the “Value per Acre” mapping model, is to identify the most sustainable development projects.
Volunteers with Scenic Rivers Land Trust remove invasive plant species, pick up trash, and maintain trails at the preserved Bacon Ridge Natural Area within Crownsville.
Approaches to Land Conservation
“I believe that the public is starting to realize the importance of land conservation…There is a renewed momentum to our mission and a sense of urgency that spurs us to act.” —Sarah Knebel, executive director of Scenic Rivers Land Trust
Land conservation takes many forms, including high-level partnerships with organizations at the local, state, and federal level as well as private foundations and corporations, the utilization of groundbreaking data and technology, the securing of financial resources, and the completion of individual conservation projects. Established in 2013, the Chesapeake Conservancy’s Chesapeake Innovation Center (CIC) is a leader in conservation technology and “uses cutting-edge technology to empower data-driven conservation and restoration.” Innovations, such as geographic information systems (GIS), artificial intelligence (AI), high-resolution datasets, geospatial analysis, tree canopy change analysis, prioritization tools, and web applications, allow organizations to accelerate the pace of land conservation.
“Land conservation organizations harness the power of data and technology to make informed decisions,” Dunn explains. “We work closely with other organizations to leverage GIS to analyze the landscape, and we utilize data produced by AI to prioritize our efforts and monitor progress. The CIC explores cutting-edge methods and applications that provide actionable insights for conservation organizations.”
Bohemia River State Park includes 225 acres of upland and hydric forest, 60 acres set aside for planned conservation, and 29 acres for planned habitat restoration. Photo courtesy ESLC.
Private landowners also play a role in land conservation. They can choose to conserve their property by working with a land trust to set up a conservation easement, a voluntary legal agreement that limits future development on the property in an effort to protect its environmental features. The easement specifies how the property will be managed and is a permanent agreement that passes to the landowners’ heirs.
Shoreline, woodlands, farmland, wetlands, beaches, and ponds are appropriate for protection through a conservation easement. A good option for landowners who qualify, Scenic Rivers cites conservation easements as “the most cost-effective way to protect private property rights and preserve land.” Landowners can either donate the conservation easement, which usually qualifies as a charitable contribution, or sell it to the land trust. Property visits to ensure that the landowners are upholding the terms of the agreement are conducted once a year.
“ESLC [also] has a strong record of working with landowners to set up conservation easements,” Kline says. “Our easements are monitored every year with drone technology, including video and photography, which dramatically improves our view of the landscape. Conservation easements protect the property forever, so we also work with the next generation of landowners.”
“Scenic Rivers secured its first conservation easement in 1989,” Knebel says. “As we celebrate the 35th anniversary of this achievement, we want to come together as a land trust community and continue to serve landowners in Anne Arundel County.”
To date, Scenic Rivers holds 78 conservation easements across Anne Arundel County, totaling more than 3,700 acres; ESLC holds more than 300 individual easements on more than 56,000 acres on the Eastern Shore.
Noteworthy Conservation Easements
“Conservation easements protect the property forever, so we also work with the next generation of landowners.” —Steve Kline, president of Eastern Shore Land Conservancy
The decision of landowners Gary and Janet Garman to protect their 130-acre property in Crownsville is an ideal example of the benefits of conservation easements. Through a partnership with Scenic Rivers and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in 2023, the Garmans set up an easement to conserve their land, which includes forest, farm, and the last remaining sawmill in Anne Arundel County.
“Through the years, developers have asked about buying our property, but we weren’t interested,” Gary says. “It’s been in my family since 1917, and I am the third-generation landowner. We love the woods, and it’s a haven for wildlife. The sawmill also has great historic value. Setting up the conservation easement was a smooth process, and I encourage others to look into this option.”
The Garman property is number eight on Scenic Rivers’ list of the Top 100 most important properties in need of conservation in Anne Arundel County. The land trust partnered with the CIC to develop a parcel prioritization tool to visualize data, which helped with the compilation of the list. One of Scenic Rivers’ major goals is to conserve all of the properties on the list within the next decade.
Another notable property, Wye House, a historic residence (circa 1790) located in Talbot County—and the former plantation where Frederick Douglass was enslaved as a young child—was preserved through three easements. Currently owned by 12th-generation landowner Richard Tilghman, the land was originally acquired by Edward Lloyd circa 1659. A historic easement on the family cemetery was granted to Preservation Maryland by Tilghman’s great-aunt (1950s) and extended to cover the 18th-century orangery (mid-1980s). Two conservation easements, one covering 164 acres in 1986 and one covering 146 acres in 1993 via his great-aunt’s will, were granted by ESLC and MET.
“Wye House is one of the most intact plantations in Maryland,” Tilghman says. “The property, which is about 1,200 acres, is primarily unchanged and features several outbuildings that are no longer in use. My great-aunt believed that it was important to preserve the character of this historic property in perpetuity.”
The Wye House is a historic residence (circa 1790) located in Talbot County preserved through three easements. A historic easement on the family cemetery was granted to Preservation Maryland by Tilghman’s great-aunt (1950s) and extended to cover the 18th-century orangery (mid-1980s). Two conservation easements, one covering 164 acres in 1986 and one covering 146 acres in 1993 via his great-aunt’s will, were granted by ESLC and MET. Photo courtesy ESLC.
Whether land conservation organizations are protecting a parcel of land by utilizing cutting-edge technology or working with a private landowner to set up an easement, they are excited about the future. They are proud of the progress they have made and look forward to achieving their long-term goals. Land conservation is a top priority in Maryland, and although the journey won’t be easy, land conservation organizations are united in this critical effort and embrace their mission with a spirit of enthusiasm.
“Maryland is a leader in land conservation, and we want to continue to serve as an example in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and the nation,” Dunn says. “I have two daughters, and I want them to enjoy the Bay as much as I did when I was a kid. I want them to chase butterflies, run along the beach, and simply enjoy the wonder of nature. I’m proud to be part of this effort, and I know we can succeed.”
Special thanks to Jody Couser, senior vice president, Chesapeake Conservancy, and Erin Valentine, development and communications officer, Scenic Rivers Land Trust.
