Anne Arundel County’s Agricultural & Woodland Preservation Program
Stewardship, land conservation, and the protection of our built environment are important components in our area’s heritage preservation efforts.
Anne Arundel County provides opportunities to landowners to establish an agricultural preservation easement program that will ensure your land is available for the next generation.
Landowners interested in preserving their land from development may qualify for one or more programs offered through Anne Arundel County in partnership with the Maryland Department of Agriculture and Department of Natural Resources. The most recent offers made through these programs ranged from $6,000 to $8,000 per acre.
The County has three primary planning documents that establish goals and strategies relating to agricultural and woodland preservation. These include the General Development Plan, South County Small Area Plan, and Land Preservation, Parks, and Recreation Plan. These plans are comprised of policies, recommendations, and strategies related primarily to promoting agriculture and forestry as a viable sector of the local economy; encouraging the use of best management practices, to reduce nutrient runoff, and promote healthy streams; discourage the loss of prime agricultural and forest land to development; and working cooperatively with State agencies and property owners to increase the amount of land protected through easement acquisition.
Deadlines:
- November 1 & April 1 – Anne Arundel County Agricultural and Woodland Preservation Program
- May 1 – Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation
- January – December – Rural Legacy (based on annual funding)
For more information visit http://www.aacounty.org/departments/recreation-parks/agricultural/
