Leonardtown, MD – The Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust (PTLT) has postponed a request seeking Commissioner support for the expansion of the Mattapany Rural Legacy Area boundaries. A public information meeting was held earlier this month with over 100 people in attendance where the proposal was discussed.
Postponing the request will allow additional time to solicit community input and address property owner inquires and concerns. Property owners who expressed interest in seeking a conservation easement in the proposed boundary will be eligible to apply pending formal approval of a boundary change. The County will continue outreach efforts over the next year, including conducting an additional public information meeting.
Rural Legacy Areas are designated by the State based on requests from land trusts and local governments. Owners of larger parcels located within a designated area are eligible to apply for a conservation easement which restricts development on their property in exchange for compensation. This allows property owners to maintain ownership of their land while ensuring that large tracts of land will forever be rural in nature. Applying for an easement is voluntary.
There are two State-designated Rural Legacy Areas (RLA) in St. Mary’s County. The Huntersville RLA is located in the northern end of the County. The Mattapany RLA is located just below and surrounding Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Both areas protect rich farmland, forests, wetlands, historic sites and wildlife habitat. Conservation within the RLAs provides water quality benefits to the Chesapeake Bay and the Saint Mary’s River watershed, which has been described by the Smithsonian as the most beautiful and pristine estuary on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay. Protection of property in this Area also creates an open space buffer to reduce residential and commercial encroachment on the Naval Air Station. PTLT’s proposed expansion of the Mattapany RLA boundary is intended to limit future development in the areas surrounding the Navy’s Webster Field Annex.
Each year, property owners with sufficiently sized parcels in an RLA may apply for a perpetual easement to be placed on their property. The County Commissioners review the Land Trust’s application on behalf of these property owners and, if in favor, write a letter of support.
The application, along with the County’s support letter, is submitted to the Maryland Rural Legacy Board, which considers applications once per year. This year’s Rural Legacy application is due February 6, 2016. Although the proposed expansion is being postponed, the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County will consider an application from PTLT on January 26, 2016 for property owners within the current Mattapany RLA boundary.
For more information about the Rural Legacy Program, contact Donna Sasscer, Manager, St. Mary’s County Department of Economic Development, Agriculture and Seafood Division at 240-309-4021.