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April 2023 | Land Trust eNews
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Maryland Environmental Trust Spotlight |
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Thanks to Our Easement Co-holding Partners!
Maryland Environmental Trust relies on its partnership with local land trusts, conservation partners and volunteers to accomplish its land conservation goals and to steward the 1,117 conservation easements MET holds across Maryland.
In CY2022 MET's co-holding partners, including 20 land trusts and governmental agencies, monitored more than 465 easements through in-person visits to easement properties, as well as reviews of up-to-date aerial imagery of easements. Thank you for your hard work, dedication and stewardship of these protected lands!
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2023 Keep Maryland Grants Awarded, 10 Land Trusts Receive Grants
On March 20, the nonprofit Forever Maryland announced that 31 grants totaling $92,000 were awarded to support environmental education, community cleanup, and beautification projects through Maryland Environmental Trust's Keep Maryland Beautiful grant program.
This year's list of recipients include 10 local land trusts. Land Trusts grants were awarded grants to increase capacity, support stewardship and community programing and foster stronger, better connected land trusts. These annual grants are funded by the Maryland Environmental Trust, Forever Maryland and Maryland Department of Transportation. Read more.
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Got Easement Photos?
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is now accepting entries for its annual photo contest. Photographers, novice or professional, are encouraged to enter for the chance to win cash, park passes, calendars, and other prizes. Entries may include images from anywhere in Maryland featuring birds, insects, flora, recreation, scenic landscapes, weather, and wildlife. Read more.
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What Happened During the 2023 Maryland General Assembly Session?
Online Recording
Forever Maryland's webinar on April 13, 2023 was recorded and is now available online. The panelists discussed what conservation, environment, and natural resource related bills advanced (or didn’t advance) during this past 90-day state legislative session. The panel discussed the new Maryland the Beautiful (SB470) and Greenspace Equity (HB503) bills among many others. This discussion also includes an update on major environmental bills from the 2023 session as well as an update on budget allocations for Maryland key land conservation programs. Learn more.
Advanced Legal Issues Symposium 2023
June 8-9 | Registration Fee
The Alliance's Ninth Symposium on Advanced Legal Topics in Land Conservation will be a virtual event on a June 8 and 9. The Symposium will discuss complex legal challenges and emerging issues in land conservation. Speakers will explore leading cases and breaking developments in conservation law, privacy issues in stewardship, collaborative conservation with public funders, timber trespass enforcement, ethical and practice considerations for attorneys as in-house counsel, outside counsel and in other roles, and strategies for climate adaptation and changing circumstances. Learn more.
MDOT is Updating the 2050 Maryland Transportation Plan & 2050 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
Online | Free
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) is kicking off the new Maryland Transportation Plan (MTP), Maryland’s long-range transportation plan, that will guide the state's vision and corresponding policy and investment priorities for the next 20 years. MDOT is in the early development stages for the 2050 MTP, and your input will help shape the state's transportation plan. Learn more.
Additionally, MDOT is also leading the development of the statewide 2050 Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (Bike Ped Master Plan). As required by state law, the Bike Ped Master Plan is updated every five years along with the MTP to establish short- and long-range goals and strategies to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety and access. MDOT will lead community outreach during spring and fall 2023. Learn more.
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Tools, Tech and Tutorials |
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 Tracking Our Progress: DNR Acreage Reports
Maryland has been a national leader in land conservation for more than 50 years. The State regularly updates its reporting mechanisms that track Maryland's land conservation efforts including the DNR's Acreage Report, Land Preservation Programs data and the Maryland Land Preservation Dashboard.
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 Interactive Maps
If it is true that "a picture tells a thousand words", then a map tells volumes. A map is a scaled, graphic representation of the real world and a means for conveying information geographically. MDP is pleased to make some of our most valuable data available to the public as interactive GIS maps. The maps convey information such as land use, PFAs and scenic byways, to name a few.
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 Maryland Green Infrastructure Gaps
The Green Infrastructure Assessment (GIA) was developed to provide decision support for DNR's land conservation programs. These data provide restoration value rankings and ecological attributes associated with green infrastructure gaps. Maryland's green infrastructure is a network of undeveloped lands that provide the bulk of the state's natural support system.
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Share Your News
If you would like to share relevant conservation news, success stories, announcements or events with Maryland's land trusts and conservation partners through this publication, please contact Michelle Grafton by the first of each month at michelle.grafton@maryland.gov.
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