Maryland's Rural Legacy Program

What criteria are used to evaluate applications?

Rural Legacy Areas are primarily evaluated based on:

  • the significance and extent of agricultural, forestry, natural and cultural resources proposed for protection;

  • the threat to resources from development pressure and landscape changes;

  • the significance of historic and cultural resources proposed for protection; and

  • the economic value of the resource-based industries or services proposed for protection through land conservation, such as agriculture, forestry, tourism and recreation.

Additionally, Rural Legacy applications are evaluated on:

  • their overall quality and completeness;

  • the strength and quality of partnerships created for land conservation;

  • extent of matching funds; and

  • a Sponsor’s ability to carry out the proposed Rural Legacy Plan, as well as the goals and objectives of the Program.

How to Apply

Combating Sprawl

Development in Maryland is consuming land at an unprecedented rate. Maryland's Rural Legacy Program was created to protect those special places that represent the state’s most valuable agricultural, forestry, natural, and cultural resources.

Benefits