Photo Courtesy of Scenic Rivers Land Trust

Photo Courtesy of Scenic Rivers Land Trust

174 acres of thriving forest ecosystems have been conserved thanks to an innovative new grant program. In May 2019, Scenic Rivers Land Trust worked with two landowners in Crownsville, Maryland to place conservation easements on their properties. This is a crucial victory as the parcels are located in Anne Arundel County, which was recently identified as the leading county for forest loss in Maryland. Additionally, the properties have been designated as Targeted Ecological Areas by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for their significance in maintaining ecosystem health. Currently, Scenic Rivers is working with Conservation Services to plant five acres of trees on one of the properties.

The project was achieved through funding from the Forestry and Forested Land Protection Grant program as part of Anne Arundel County’s partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Trust. The program aims to plant trees across the county as well as increase the number of acres of protected forested land through land protection and restoration funding. Scenic Rivers Land Trust acquired a third easement through the program on a 111-acre property in Gambrills, MD in February 2019.