Maryland officials have greenlit more than $1.8 million in state grants to enhance parks, develop trails, and preserve natural areas across eight counties, including Cecil and Queen Anne’s counties on the Eastern Shore.
The Maryland Board of Public Works authorized the funding distribution from the Department of Natural Resources to support local government initiatives in Allegany, Baltimore, Calvert, Cecil, Dorchester, Montgomery, Queen Anne’s, and Washington counties.
Local park improvements received the largest share, with over $1.35 million allocated through the Program Open Space – Local initiative. These funds will finance nine separate projects, including upgraded field lighting at Allegany County’s Cresaptown Sports Complex, LED lighting improvements at Baltimore County’s Reisterstown Regional Park, and construction of a new 2-mile recreational trail connecting Rock Creek Regional Park and North Branch Stream Valley Park in Montgomery County.
Conservation efforts received $271,000 through the Rural Legacy program to secure a permanent conservation easement in Cecil County’s Fair Hill Rural Legacy Area. The Cecil Land Trust will protect a 65-acre agricultural property featuring 1,200 feet of wooded stream buffers along a Little North East Creek tributary.
An additional $213,000 was designated for a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program easement covering 35 acres in Queen Anne’s County. This protection will safeguard scenic Wye River views and establish over 4,000 feet of forested stream buffers. The wooded area also provides critical nesting habitat for Forest Interior Dwelling Species of birds, which need extensive undisturbed areas for successful reproduction.
State officials also approved $399,750 in Program Open Space – Stateside funding for two major acquisitions: a Forest Legacy easement protecting 53 forested acres in Cecil County and a 195-acre addition to Wills Mountain State Park in Allegany County. The Cecil County project will help maintain water quality in the Lower Elk River watershed while providing fish and wildlife habitat. The Allegany County expansion will increase public recreation access and create additional forest cover for bird populations.
The Wills Mountain State Park expansion supports the facility’s planned opening in late 2026.
Complete details about these initiatives and additional items appear in the Board of Public Works May 6, 2026 meeting agenda.
Governor Wes Moore, Treasurer Dereck E. Davis, and Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman comprise the three-member Board of Public Works.
The Program Open Space – Stateside initiative protects natural areas statewide for public recreation and environmental conservation through property purchases and easement agreements. Properties acquired through direct purchase become state parks, forests, and wildlife management areas under department oversight.
Program Open Space – Local, established in 1969 under the Department of Natural Resources, distributes annual funding to all counties and Baltimore City for recreational land planning, acquisition, and facility development. Local governments determine specific project selections. The program operates through property transfer tax revenue and represents Maryland’s ongoing commitment to natural resource conservation and public recreation access.
The Rural Legacy Program, launched in 1997, protects large working landscapes across 36 designated areas throughout Maryland. Both the Rural Legacy Program and the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation recently received national recognition from the American Farmland Trust.
Maryland’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program permanent easement option, active since 2009, acquires conservation easements from voluntary participants that maintain Conservation Reserve Program practices beyond federal contract expiration dates.
