Board also approves Program Open Space – Stateside funds for protection of 244 acres of forest in Frederick and St. Mary’s counties
A conservation easement will be preserved within the Mid-Maryland Rural Legacy Area, which borders South Mountain to the east and is within the viewshed of the Appalachian Trail, to protect 1,700 feet of forested stream buffers. Maryland DNR photo
The Board of Public Works today approved more than $9.2 million in grants from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to local governments and a land trust for park pavilions, playgrounds, and land conservation in Allegany, Baltimore, Frederick, and Montgomery counties.
More than $621,000 in Program Open Space – Local funding was approved for three projects: an updated pavilion and new playground equipment for Gaithersburg’s Walder Park in Montgomery County, and two Allegany County projects: a pavilion and parking at the Prichard Farm Recreational Area and fencing at the Cresaptown Sports Complex in Allegany County.
Funding of $4.75 million was approved for Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure Program projects in Montgomery County to renovate four parks. Long Branch Local Park will receive extensive renovations to its athletic fields, internal trail loop, playground, picnic shelters, skatepark, sports court, and gathering plazas. Laytonsville Park will get a new playground and resurface the basketball court. Little Falls Stream Valley Park will repave its trail and Wheaton Regional Park will construct a new Action Sports Park that includes a skate park, bike skills track, and play areas. An additional $3 million from the Greenspace Equity Program was also approved for the Wheaton Regional Park to fund picnic areas, shade structures, walkways, and other passive recreation improvements.
In land conservation, the Board approved $646,000 in Rural Legacy program funding to acquire conservation easements on two properties. In Baltimore County, the Land Preservation Trust will preserve a 48-acre farm in the Piney Run Rural Legacy Area. The easement will protect over 2,600 feet of stream buffers in the Loch Raven Reservoir watershed, an important source of drinking water for the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. In Frederick County, 63 acres will be preserved within the Mid-Maryland Frederick Rural Legacy Area. This easement will protect 1,700 feet of forested stream buffers along a tributary to Catoctin Creek in the Potomac River watershed and contribute to the protection of a contiguous block of more than 3,400 acres already preserved by conservation easements.
Frederick County will also receive $206,000 approved by the Board for a Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) Permanent Conservation Easement acquisition on 31 acres located north of Libertytown. This acquisition will protect water quality through the preservation of 1,500 feet of forested stream buffer along a tributary to Cabbage Run in the Monocacy River watershed. In addition, the forest is likely habitat for Forest Interior Dwelling Species of birds (FIDS), which require large tracts of land to successfully nest.
In addition, the Board approved $2.8 million in Program Open Space – Stateside funds to acquire 209 acres of forested land in St. Mary’s County and to purchase a conservation easement on 35 acres in Frederick County. The St. Mary’s County project will be a new recreational park accessible by bus and its acquisition will preserve wildlife habitat and water quality in the St. Mary’s River watershed. The Frederick County project will buffer the South Mountain Battlefield State Park and Appalachian National Scenic Trail, as well as provide habitat for Forest Interior Dwelling Species of birds and water quality protection in the Catoctin Creek watershed.
Separately, the Board approved a new and final lease between DNR and Days Cove Reclamation Co., which operates the longtime rubble fill on state property adjacent to Gunpowder Falls State Park. The lease closes Days Cove rubble fill operations by the end of 2029 followed by a three-year period to permanently cap the landfill in accordance with applicable environmental laws and regulations. The lease includes no option to renew, and secures the tenant’s funding for site reclamation after closure.
DNR is interested in pursuing recreational options at the site potentially paired with a community solar facility in the future. Those decisions will ultimately be made following conversations with and input from the community.
More detailed information on these and other items is available in the Board of Public Works May 20, 2026 meeting agenda. The three-member Board of Public Works is composed of Governor Wes Moore, Treasurer Dereck E. Davis and Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman.
Information about these Maryland recreation and land conservation programs:
Program Open Space – Stateside preserves natural areas for public recreation and watershed and wildlife protection across Maryland through fee simple and conservation easement acquisitions. Fee simple acquisitions are managed by the department as state parks, forests, and wildlife and fisheries management areas.
Program Open Space – Local provides funding for county and municipal governments for the planning, acquisition, and development of recreational land or facilities. Funds are allocated annually to every county and Baltimore City and projects funded are determined by the local government. Established under the Department of Natural Resources in 1969, Program Open Space, along with other state land conservation programs, symbolizes Maryland’s long-term commitment to conserving our natural resources while providing exceptional outdoor recreation opportunities for all citizens. The program is funded by a property transfer tax.
The Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure Program was funded in FY 2022 and FY 2023 to provide grant funds primarily to local governments for park and recreation projects.
The Greenspace Equity Program was established in 2023 through legislation to provide grants for projects that preserve, create, and improve public greenspace in overburdened and underserved communities.
The Rural Legacy Program, created in 1997, conserves large working landscapes across 36 locally designated areas throughout Maryland. The Rural Legacy Program, along with the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, have earned the State of Maryland national recognition from the American Farmland Trust.
Since 2009, Maryland’s permanent easement option with the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) has acquired, from willing landowners, conservation easements that require continued maintenance of Conservation Reserve Program practices after the expiration of the federal contracts.
More news on funding approved for Program Open Space, Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure, Greenspace Equity, Rural Legacy, and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Permanent Easement programs is available on the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ Land News webpage.
