![[Maryland Environmental Trust]](top2.gif){kind=small}
Landowner Stories
|
Family Conserves 257 Acres - Western Somerset County
Jim choose the donated conservation easement program because it offered him a wide range of income and estate tax benefits, as well as the maximum flexibility and creativity in drafting his easement agreement terms. In addition, the donated conservation easement dovetails well with the habitat improvement and forestry programs Jim is involved with through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Myers Island Hunt Club Farm consists of an even mixture of woodlands, marshland, and tillable uplands. Jim purchased the original 106-acre tract in 1965 and then later added 19 acres of woodland purchased at a tax sale. The woodlands on and adjacent to the farm are potential habitat to Forest Interior Dwelling birds (FIDS), regular and seasonal inhabitants of the Lower Shore whose habitat is threatened by development and forest fragmentation. The property is located along Wolftrap Creek and Big Gut, both of which are significant and scenic tributaries to the Manokin River. Nearby is the 4,000-acre Fairmont Wildlife
Management Area. The farm’s uplands, approximately 84 acres, are bracketed by two public roads on the edge of Somerset’s rural Upper Fairmont. While the uplands were originally slated for town development in the local comprehensive plan (a plan that would potentially have doubled the size of Upper Fairmont), they have instead been given over by the Myers family to the building of two wildfowl impoundments, the continued management of crops for wildlife habitat, and the planting of extensive forested buffers. Although not supported by the County, extinguishing that many development rights in favor of habitat and water quality was a private and voluntary decision that was fully supported by the land trusts.
Some of the farm’s timber is over 50 years old and ready to harvest, Jim Myers said in a recent interview. Jim and John Jordan, DNR’s County Forestry Project Manager, planned and established a 1.5-acre Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program forested buffer and are finalizing a comprehensive forestry plan. The terms of the donated conservation agreement ensure that the farm’s timber resources can be managed for timber production, water quality protection – such as shoreline buffer areas – and wildlife habitat. “Jim gets very excited when it comes to trees,” said Jordan by e-mail, “He likes the hands-on approach. He makes sure he’s there with the tree planting projects making sure all get planted green side up. His seedlings get tender loving care in the form of tree shelters and weed control, which he takes care of personally. He is simply running out of room to plant more trees!” Jim already had plans for some of that timber income, all to the benefit of generations to come, “I’ll leave an endowment to take care of the perpetual care of the farm through the sale of timber.”
Don Webster, a Waterfowl Habitat Manager with the Department of Natural Resources, is especially pleased with the Myers conservation effort. It was Don who really got
the conservation easement idea planted in Jim’s long-term plans. As Don recalls, “My first meeting with Jim Myers was to discuss creating a small wetland project for waterfowl on his property in Somerset County in 1999. After plans were developed, Mr. Myers without hesitation started construction on the 5-acre wetland. To make a long story short, his interest in being a good steward of the land and infectious enthusiasm led me to discuss different types of conservation easements (purchased and donated) and which one would be better suited for his situation. Thus, the call to Nancy Whitlock of the LSLT and the rest is history.”
Conservation Easement Program promotion is truly a team effort and requires good communication between program partners. Don Webster has brought prospective easement donors to the land trusts on numerous occasions and seemingly has a great sense of timing, “In my profession, I have been very fortunate to work with landowners like Jim, who hold the best interest of the environment and Bay close to their hearts. I know of at least five other landowners that have applied conservation easements to their properties, simply by my leading them in the right direction.”
Nancy Whitlock, Executive Director of the Lower Shore Land Trust, works with Don and prospective easement donors to continue the conservation efforts. She has played an important role as part of the Myers conservation team, “Don Webster called me and we set up a meeting with Jim Myers. MET’s John Hutson couldn’t join us that day. Jim drove us around the property in his all-terrain customized electric golf cart – it has a raised chassis and wide floatation tires. That day, Don talked about the new wildlife pond [to be constructed in the high density zoned growth area]
and I talked about some of the details regarding donating a conservation easement with the MET and the LSLT.” The easement, completed in December 2004, consolidated 19 separate parcels of land (under three ownerships) into one common ownership parcel not to be subdivided. Subdivision fragments agricultural and forestry lands, converting the former in worst-case scenarios to residential lawns and the latter to residential buffers. Jim’s heirs will have to work together – more teamwork – to manage the natural resources of the property under the common ownership concept. Jim recently put it this way, “I am leaving the property to Jimmy and Richard and they will leave it to their heirs and that way it stays in the family trust.” Then, as if to warn future generations not to play with his conservation accomplishment, Myers added, “If you ever try to sell it and break the trust, I will come back to haunt you, as I intend to be buried down there in that Maddox family cemetery!”
Somerset County landowners have generously donated conservation easements on over 3,200 acres - MET and LSLT have jointly protected 1,601 acres in Somerset County and an additional 1,627 acres are under easement with MET alone. For many of these landowners, completing an easement donation gave them a sense of accomplishment and gave them peace of mind regarding the future of their property. For Jim Myers, truly a family-oriented man, the conservation easement donation is an investment that will enrich future generations and involve them in a conservation effort they can call their own. In Jim’s own words, “Our family feels real good that the easement is finally in place and especially the younger part of the family who, as years go by, well, their interest will grow and the farm will always be there for them.”
THE ROOSEVELT FAMILY: THE CONSERVATION LEGACY LIVES
Throughout his childhood Roosevelt added to his collection, keeping careful records of naturalist data with a special concentration on bird migration and habits. Roosevelt became an amateur taxidermist. On a trip with his family to Egypt and Syria at the age of 14, his father gave him his first gun. Roosevelt shot birds, stuffed them, and sent them home to be added to his collection.
In reconciling his love of birds with his love of hunting, Roosevelt followed the thoughts of a noted ornithologist of the day who said, "a true ornithologist goes out to study birds alive and destroys some of them simply because that is the only way of learning their structural and technical characters."
Roosevelt became a hunter-conservationist. Mrs. McMillan said, "he felt no conflict at being a hunter and conservationist; he hunted very carefully-never over the top. This sounds like a curious thing, but it can be done." Roosevelt went to Harvard where he studied Natural History. He might have become a noted naturalist if circumstances had not drawn him towards the more public life of a politician.
After graduating from Harvard he married Alice Lee. On the day their first child, Alice, was born, Roosevelt suffered a double tragedy-both his wife and his mother died. Mrs. McMillan said, "after this tragedy my grandfather traveled out to the Badlands of South Dakota to recover from his sorrow."
This introduction to the West with its wide-open spaces, wildlife, big game, and vanishing buffalo made a keen impression on Roosevelt. He contemplated spending his life as a rancher. However, concern for his daughter and the loss of most of his stock from a hard winter convinced him that the life of a rancher was not for him.
The Roosevelt home, Sagamore Hill on Long Island, served as a summer and sometimes winter home for Roosevelt, his second wife Edith Carow, and their six children. Roosevelt's children grew up with a love of the outdoors. Mrs. McMillan says, "my grandfather used to take his children on long hikes. They were allowed to climb over or under obstacles, but never around." Roosevelt's children passed this love of nature and the outdoors on to their children.
All his life Roosevelt actively supported the importance of the outdoors for developing character. As a young boy he had suffered from asthma and was considered a weak child. Determined to overcome this, he built up his body through strenuous outdoor exercise. Throughout his life Roosevelt was attracted to people who, like himself, believed in the values of an outdoor life.
In 1887 together with George Grinnel, the Editor of Field and Stream magazine, Roosevelt founded the Boone and Crockett Club. The club provided a forum for an exchange of opinions and ideas. In Field and Stream, the editorials advocated scientific management of forest, uniform game laws, improved fish culture, reduced water pollution, domestication of furbearing animals, and the protection of watersheds as a means of flood control.
Roosevelt served as President of the Boone and Crockett Club from 1888-93, during which time the club promoted the protection of Yellowstone Park from wanton destruction. In 1891 Congress passed “An Act to Repeal Timber Culture Laws and For Other Purposes." This legislation established the National Forest Reserves. Section 24 of this bill gave the President the right to designate forest reserves on public lands. This would become a vital tool in Roosevelt's conservation plans when he became president in 1901.
Mrs. McMillan recalled specific achievements Roosevelt made for conservation while President from 1901-1909. "He set aside twenty-one new forest reserves totaling sixteen million acres, fifty-one wildlife refuges, and five new national parks: Crater Lake Park in Oregon; Platt National Park in Oklahoma; Mesa Verde Park in Colorado, Sully Hill Park in North Dakota; and Wind Cave Park in South Dakota." He also established the Inland Waterways Commission and in 1908 convened a Governor's Conference at the White House to discuss the preservation of the natural resources of the country. "My Grandfather felt that the future of conservation lay with the states and not with the federal government," Mrs. McMillan elaborated. Thirty- six states started commissions on conservation as a result of the conference.
That same year Roosevelt appointed the National Commission on Conservation of Natural Resources. The commission produced a three-volume report on the nation's water, forestland, and mineral resources. "It was a tremendous base for the conservation movement to work with," said Mrs. McMillan.
Like her grandfather, Grace McMillan believed in the conservation ethic. She and her husband William donated a conservation easement on their 347-acre Baltimore County farm in 1987. Mrs. McMillan said at the time, "We would like to see as much of the open countryside preserved from development as possible." The McMillan easement protects farmland, woodland and scenic open space in the Worthington Valley Historic District.
The easement perpetuates the family conservation legacy established by Theodore Roosevelt, as does the 2003 donation by the McMillan’s son, William McMillan,Jr., and his wife Martha on their 22-acre property which adjoins the first McMillan easement. The Trust is grateful for these generous conservation easement donations.
A RESPECT FOR ALL LIVING THINGS: THE TENBERG EASEMENT, BALTIMORE COUNTY
A Westinghouse engineer nearing retirement, Mr. Tenberg at first was apprehensive about putting his life savings towards the purchase of the land. However, when he saw the site with its large tract of woodland and sparkling stretch of Beaverdam Run, he visualized a place where he could create "a small sanctuary for wildlife." He built a house for himself on the property. He carefully chose a site at the edge of the woods where the building construction would have the least environmental impact.
Mr. Tenberg believes in Albert Schweitzer’s philosophy of reverence for life, that everything-humans, animals and insects--is important and as Schweitzer said, "A good person is kind to all living things." Near his home on Old Court Road Mr. Tenberg fought to save trees around the site of the Old Court Road subway station; a few were saved. The builder on the site said after they finished construction they would plant some seedlings. Mr. Tenberg replied to the builder, "but, I'll never be able to sit under the shade of those trees-you're replacing 100-150 year old oak trees with saplings."
"I'm not against progress," Mr. Tenberg pointed out, "I am against the wanton destruction of nature because someone is going to make a lot of money out of it. Nor do I believe that conservation and development must be an either or situation, which is how the politicians and developers sometimes put it—‘are you for people or are you for trees' type of argument."
During a walk around his property in Baltimore County, Mr. Tenberg talked about the value of letting nature control the woodland. "A forester would come into these woods and clear-cut most of the trees. Look at that tree. (He pointed to a diseased tree with a large hole in the trunk.) The diseased and dying trees like this one provide food and shelter for woodpeckers." There are a wide variety of woodpeckers on the property including the large, but shy, pileated woodpecker, which usually lives only in a dense stand of trees in extensive woodland.
The trees on the Tenberg property are relatively young. Mr. Tenberg thinks that the land had been clear-cut within the last thirty years. "When I bought the property, I wanted to find a management plan that would keep the land in the present condition and prevent any future disturbance," he said. Mr. Tenberg found that Maryland Environmental Trust's conservation easement program provided him with the means to restrict the land's use and protect its natural resources.
The Tenberg easement protects the property's natural vegetation, wooded stream valley, and wildlife habitat. It also prevents commercial timbering of the woodland. A quarter-of-a-mile stretch of Beaverdam Run flows through the site. Beaverdam Run is a tributary of Loch Raven Reservoir, which supplies public water to Baltimore.
And unlike the previous owners, Mr. Tenberg will not allow hunting on the property. White tail deer frequent a prominent ridge on the property. Mr. Tenberg hopes that other animals, like the deer, will come to know his property as a safe haven in the years to come. Mr. Tenberg said, "I think what MET is doing for the protection of land in Maryland is a step in the right direction. I hope that my twenty acres under easement will be a sanctuary for everything that wants to live there." Mr. Tenberg gives lectures, writes newspaper articles and enjoys taking photographs of nature. He says, "I wish everyone would do something for the betterment of the place we live in-for the schools, or nature, or for whatever they are best suited to support from experience and knowledge."
In 1993 Mr. Tenberg spoke to his neighbor about doing an easement and subsequently the landowner donated an easement to MET on his 12-acre property. The Trust appreciates Mr. Tenberg for his generous easement donation and promotion of the conservation easement program.
IRISH GROVE SANCTUARY: Maryland Natural Area Protected
Along the banks of East Creek, just north of the extensive marshland bordering Pocomoke Sound in Somerset County lies one of the finest natural areas in the State of Maryland -Irish Grove Sanctuary. Owned by the Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS), Irish Grove boasts 1569 acres of prime habitat for the endangered amphibian, the eastern narrow-mouthed toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis), as well as sanctuary for over 230 species of birds. Three of these species, the short-eared owl (Asio flammeus), the black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis) , and the sedge wren (Cistothomus platensis) are designated as "in need of conservation" by the Maryland Natural Heritage Program of the Department of Natural Resources.
In the late 19th century, the property was the site of at least four dwellings and one school. Several families have lived on and farmed-the land which has been slowly reclaimed by the rising sea level. During the last quarter century, the once cultivated areas have become too salty for farming. The land itself is now about 70% marsh, dissected by tidal streams and dotted with hummocks, only five feet above sea level. Wetland plants grace the marsh area. They include salt-water cord grass (Spartina alterniflora), salt meadow cord grass (S. patens), and glasswort (Salicornia ssp.) About 25 per cent of the acreage consists of productive woodland dominated by loblolly pines. The remaining five per cent of the land is what remains of the once fertile farmland. The decayed remains of some of the old farm houses can still be seen along with a small graveyard on Susan Moore Hummock, where its namesake is buried.
The Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS) recognized the significance of this pristine saltwater marshland as a prime habitat for birds and, in 1968, purchased 1,400 acres if Irish Grove Marsh for $80,000 for use as a sanctuary.
In 1987, the Natural Heritage Program of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources compiled a list of property owners of key natural areas, which was provided to the Maryland Environmental Trust for use in its conservation easement solicitation endeavors. The Trust contacted the Maryland Ornithological Society about the donation of a conservation easement on its Irish Grove Sanctuary in Somerset County. MOS responded enthusiastically to MET's request. The donation of a conservation easement afforded MOS an added degree of protection to ensure that Irish Grove's wetlands, woodlands and other natural features would be protected from development in perpetuity.
Under an MET easement, Irish Grove Sanctuary operates as it has since 1980. One farmhouse off Rumbly Point Road is maintained by the Maryland Ornithological Society and is used to accommodate overnight visitors. Several outbuildings are used for a banding station, screened dining area, storage and home for a pair of barn owls. There are several good nature trails near the main house, which provide excellent opportunities for nature study and environmental education. The provisions of the conservation easement provide MOS with the right to construct two additional overnight facilities, new trails, boardwalks, observation decks and other improvements.
In 1992 MOS gained an additional 150 acres from the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy who had received it as a gift and put an easement on it to the Maryland Environmental Trust before transferring it to MOS. Irish Grove Sanctuary is indeed an environmental milestone in which the Maryland Ornithological Society perpetually protects significant natural habitat.
100,000 Easement Acres Reached
At the Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) the coming of spring this year brought more than simply welcome relief from an unusually hard winter. It also brought with it the 700th completed conservation project – for a grand total of over 100,000 acres of easements held by the Trust
throughout the State. This marks a significant milestone in the history of MET which was created in 1967 to “conserve, improve, stimulate, and perpetuate the aesthetic, natural, health and welfare, scenic, and cultural qualities of the environment.” The unique structure of the Trust, with an independent Board of Trustees and Department of Natural Resources staff, has certainly contributed to its accomplishments and proven to be a durable organizational model. Nationally, MET ranks fifth among State level land trusts for number of acres protected by easement and third for number of easements held.
As a fitting representation of the Trust’s accomplishments,
the easement donation on a 477-acre Kent County property broke the 100,000-acre mark. Sitting amidst 1,100 acres of protected land is William F. D’Alonzo’s property, Turner’s Creek Farm. Primarily in agricultural production, it incorporates best management practices for water quality
protection and wildlife habitat. With a mile of frontage on Turner’s Creek close to the Sassafras River and even more road frontage, the rolling landscape contributes significantly to the scenic beauty of the area and typifies many other valuable private lands that are now protected.
“Being a hunter and seeing so many farms where I hunted as a kid growing up disappear, I wanted my own farm to be preserved forever,” says Mr. D’Alonzo. “I think Kent County and the entire Eastern Shore is one of the most beautiful areas in our entire country. It would be a shame not to preserve this beauty.”
Most of the credit for the Trust’s accomplishments lies with the many landowners, like Mr. D’Alonzo, who have made personal commitments to land conservation. However, there are also many hands at work to make it all happen. First and foremost are the staff and Board of Trustees of MET. Other staff members at the Department of Natural Resources deserve kudos, especially those in the Assistant Attorney General’s office and the Rural Legacy Program. Last but certainly not least are the folks at the 52 local land trusts, many of whom have partnered with MET on land protection projects. Chief among those partners has been the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy which coholds easements with MET on more than 26,000 acres.
ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH…
If repeat business is the sign of a satisfied customer then MET has cause to celebrate the service it provides to Maryland landowners. Nearly 60 landowners have donated easements on at least two properties, 20 of them on three or more. Fifteen percent of the acres and 24 percent of the easements protected by MET are properties of multiple easement donors. These easements range in size from seven acres to 1,400 acres and are distributed throughout the state. Following is a sampling of this very committed group of citizens.
Fifth Easement Places Landowner Over 1,000-Acre Mark
Facchina donated his first four easements in Charles County in 1996 and 1999 to protect his 400-acre farm, Mt. Air. Last year he donated an easement on 327 acres in the Gunston area. This spring the Facchina family granted an easement on 233 acres on the Nanjemoy River known as Audubon Woods. It is Facchina’s first in St. Mary’s County and highly significant because it protects the headwater streams of the St. Mary’s River and specifically provides habitat protection for forest interior dwelling birds. That makes a grand total for Facchina of 1,180 acres under MET easement.
“Paul Facchina is an absolute champion for land preservation” said MET Director, John Bernstein. “His devotion and steadfast determination for preserving the integrity of Maryland’s landscape is inspiring.”
“Protecting the integrity of the environment continues to be a very important personal goal for me,” Facchina said. “It’s satisfying to know that the Hilton Run easement will provide forested habitat for migratory birds, secure significant headwater streams to St. Mary’s River, and forever contribute to the water quality of the river and the Chesapeake Bay.”
Once is not Enough Multiple Easement Donors at MET
MET may, with the donors’ approval, extinguish all but one development right, place a conservation easement on the property and sell the land to establish the David H. and Dana L. Posey Conservation Fund to promote the Conservation Easement Program at MET.
The Poseys were first introduced to MET in 1996 when they placed a conservation easement on their 92-acre property adjacent to Chapel Point State Park. Since then David Posey has donated easements on two parcels totaling 114 acres with partners, Jim Lorenzi and Wayne Wilkerson. Together with his parents and siblings, he protected the 78-acre family home with its forest, open fields, lake and Kerrick Run, with a conservation easement. In 2002, the Posey’s donated another in-fee property, 18 acres in Zekiah Swamp, to the Conservancy for Charles County, Inc., a local land trust.
Dairy Farmer Does What He Believes – Again
So, in 1991, the Paynes placed a conservation easement on their entire home farm of 155 acres. It is co-held by MET and the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC). In that same year they bought 66 acres adjacent to the farm and last December made their second donation of an
easement to MET and ESLC.
Of course, the Paynes are not the only landowners in the area conserving their land. They are in the vicinity of over 544 acres of land protected by a number of preservation programs. So they feel they are a building block of something bigger than just their efforts. Actions they and
their neighbors have taken are mutually reinforcing. “Some farmers ask me what’s the point of saving the land, my kids don’t want to farm?” says Bob. “Sure, I hope it’s my kids farming this land but it should always be farmland anyway. This whole area should be.”
Kent native was a true steward of the land
Then, looking down his rather aristocratic nose, he softened his evaluation adding, “But, that’s all right. Everyone has to be from someplace. Here is just better.”
Then he invited me on a tour of Bloomingneck Farm to prove his point.
As Kent County natives go, Walter was the real thing. Raised in the 16-room farmhouse where he and his wife, Dolly, began married life more than half a century ago, he spent all of his 84 years on the land he loved.
It was that significant farmhouse and the stunning, waterfront acreage surrounding it that ignited Walter’s lifelong interest in all things historical, and fueled his passion to preserve them for future generations.
He grew up on that majestic swath of farmland, high atop a peninsula fronting the Chesapeake Bay, a childhood spent exploring the deep woods and soft meadows that swept down to the bay-washed cliffs, that have changed little in 300 years.
Walter reveled in the lore of Bloomingneck Farm, steeped in history, and controversy, from its earliest owner, Lloyd Delaney, who lost the property during the Revolutionary War, to William Paca, Maryland’s third governor. Walter’s grandfather purchased the property in the late 1800’s, not for its large holdings or pristine shoreline, but because the property came with its own wharf, handy for shipping produce from 200 acres of fruit trees.
In those early days of farming the family hired 80 workers each year to tend the crops, and Walter often spoke about the “sound of their beautiful voices echoing across the fields” as they sang while they planted and harvested.
By 1928 the songs had ended. Ships no longer stopped at the wharf, and trucking the fruit to market became prohibitive. But, even as the arrival of the Great Depression deepened Bloomingneck’s financial woes, Walter refused to heed the advice of others to “get rid of that rat hole,” instead investing his savings in a tomato crop, a move that saved the farm from foreclosure.
His mother, a renowned horticulturist, threw her energies into raising a profitable flock of turkeys.
“It wasn’t an easy job, because by then we had no help. But we weren’t about to let that farm go,” Walter said.
Dolly, city born and bred, met Walter while accompanying her mother and stepfather to look at the hunting dogs being raised at Bloomingneck.
“I thought it was in the middle of the wilderness,” she recalls. “That afternoon we caught some fish and decided to cook them up before we drove back home. I asked Walter if we could borrow a frying pan, and so we enjoyed our picnic before driving home. When we got back, we discovered we’d forgotten to return the pan.”
Dolly called to apologize, and Walter suggested she could bring the pan back and he could take her to dinner. She agreed.
“We went to the Tidewater Inn, which had just opened in Easton. I couldn’t believe how far it was to drive just to go out to eat, but it was a lovely place,” Dolly recalled.
During the course of their dinner, Walter took a tour of the new rooms at the Tidewater, and on their way home asked Dolly if she’s like to stay there sometime.
Shocked at his bold suggestion, she primly replied, “No, I think not!”
“Oh,” Walter quickly amended, “I meant after we’re married.”
“And that was that,” said Dolly, who traded big city life to wed and raise four children on the beautiful bayfront farm.
On their 50th wedding anniversary celebration at Drayton Manor in 2000, Walter turned to his “bride,” with a toast, announcing, “When I met Dolly, I thought she was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. And I still do.”
When Walter died last week, we lost not only his presence, but a treasure trove of Eastern Shore folklore and a walking infomercial for Kent County.
“I don’t want people to forget what it was like,” he said, and went to work assuring no one would.
Over the years, Walter developed a Boy Scout retreat on Bloomingneck, then leased property for Echo Hill Camp, and later, Echo Hill Outdoor School, to encourage youngsters to appreciate the landscape.
He devoted boundless energy to local affairs, becoming a founder of the Kent Museum, Inc., past president of the Kent County Heritage Trust and the Kent County Historical Society and a member of numerous Chesapeake Bay preservation organizations.
A pioneer of no-till farming more than 30 years ago, Walter was also a Conservation District Supervisor, a member of the Forestry Board and a valuable supporter of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy.
When the beautiful old house at the Still Pond Coast Guard station was slated for demolition years ago, Walter was asked to go through it and see if he wanted to take anything home. He took the entire house, moving it to Bloomingneck on a bluff overlooking the Chesapeake and renaming it “Bay House.”
But, earlier this year, suffering a myriad of problems, including a heart condition that had plagued him since childhood, Walter became increasingly frail. Yet he never lost interest in touring his beloved farm or traveling the back roads of Kent with his wife and daughter, Holly, who, with her husband, Mac, is busy restoring her father’s childhood farmhouse. Recently, severe breathing problems further compromised Walter’s health, requiring his permanent hookup to oxygen.
“The truth is,” Walter said, still smiling, “I’m just wearing out.”
In my heart, I believe Walter journeyed on to heaven. I just hope it looks a lot like Kent County.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cooky McGlung writes for the Kent County News.
Piscataway House & Property Protected
“All positives, no negatives” is how Mr. Savage
describes the easement on his and Jane’s home
and property. Having lived in his home for almost
25 years, raising his children there, and being involved
in the historic preservation of the neighborhood,
he only wishes he could do more to preserve
the home and neighborhood that he loves.
He also appreciates the property and income tax
savings and potential estate tax benefits that the
easement allows him. He relishes the peace of
mind of knowing that, if he were ever to sell, the
character of the house and property would remain
essentially the same.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Diane Chasse is on staff at the Maryland Environmental Trust
Protecting Pennterra
The Luceys first considered placing Pennterra in a conservation easement in 1989 and contacted the Maryland Environmental Trust. But, says Mr. Lucey, “it was a big decision and we held off. A lot has changed since then.” For one thing, Mr. Lucey has retired from farming. His son-in-law is now farming Pennterra and the Luceys are in the midst of estate planning, which brought them back to MET. When asked why they felt it was important to protect their property, Mr. Lucey replied, “I’ve spent 40 years improving this property, I want to make sure it never turns into a ticky-tacky housing development. My people are buried here. If we ever move, I want to be able to come back on holidays and visit my family.” Mrs. Lucey, who enjoys gardening, collecting antiques and decorating, said, “I get a lot of satisfaction looking at what we’ve done, and I don’t want it to change.” To the question “What would you like the property to look like in 50 years?” the Luceys replied in unison, “Just the way it does now.” To carry out their intentions, the Luceys decided on an easement that allows only one additional house to be built; it also protects the most historic portions of the historic house from demolition. The Maryland Environmental Trust and the Maryland Historical Trust are co-holding the easement which protects this magnificent farm. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Barbara Levin is on the staff of the Maryland Environmental Trust
Conservation in the Air at Mt. Air
The latest 199-acre donation adds to the Facchina's 1996 donation of 193 acres. In addition, the Farm lies nestled inside a huge 1,680-acre easement donated in the 1970s by Paul Nitze. Together, the three easements create a contiguous protected block of 2,071 acres. The block also adjoins Chapel Point State Park and is part of a series of easements along the Potomac shoreline from the Port Tobacco River south to Popes Creek. All in all, the Maryland shoreline in this stretch has retained much of its bucolic character, which is remarkable considering that the area is within Washington's expanding commuter-shed. Paul, who owns a regional construction company, was especially motivated by the venerable history of Mt. Air. When he purchased the property, he had obtained a history of the farm and its past owners, and he realized that he was only the seventh owner of the farm since the original land grant in 1649. Paul says, "It's just amazing to me to think that this property hasn't really changed for hundreds of years. And now I know that in another 200 years, someone else can say that same thing." Paul stands as a signature model of a landowner who sees the land as more than a commodity. "I consider myself a custodian of the land, not an owner," he insists. He and his family have lived at Mt. Air since 1994, enjoying countless walks along the many woodland trails. The farm supports 190 acres of corn crop and another 200 acres were placed in a forest management timber plan under the easements. An avid outdoorsman, Paul has traveled extensively, but nowhere has his land ethic meant more to him than at home. "The place is a wildlife refuge," he remarks, "it's unbelievable. I don't care where you go on that property, it's all magnificent." Once he decided to donate a conservation easement, the rest was easy. Says, Charles McPherson, an advisor to Paul who was critical in putting the easements together, "MET was an absolute pleasure to work with." Paul adds, "MET sits down and takes great pains to walk you through the process. And the restrictions are all common sense, there's nothing in there that scares you, nothing that's too onerous." A native of the Brookland community in Washington, D.C., Paul has seen the Potomac come a long way since his youth. "I remember when it was more of a sewer than anything," he recalls. "Today we're seeing huge rockfish right out here. I'd even like to be able to drink out of the river one day." Thanks to efforts like his, that just might be possible. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rob Levin intern with the Maryland Environmental Trust
A Deal For the Ages
Of course, any big acquisition project has its harrowing moments and this was no exception. The entire project almost fell through because one of the 16 landowners was nowhere to be found. After extensive efforts to locate the owner were unsuccessful, the project was on the verge of failure when Lambert at LSLT received a phone call out of the blue from the missing landowner. At another point, Partlow discovered that part of the property was still encumbered by a mortgage to a failed savings and loan that had been granted by two of the original owners back in the 1970s. Partlow sent a request for release of the mortgages to the FDIC's asset management unit in Texas and waited with bated breath. "I was worried that my request was going to take a long time to process or that the FDIC would be unable to release the mortgage due to lack of information. But only a week after I sent it, I received a signed release." After the purchase, they donated a conservation easement to MET and LSLT, as previously arranged. The 989-acre property is one of the most southern points in the state, between Pocomoke Sound and Jenkins Creek, east of the town of Crisfield. The vast network of tidal wetlands, totaling eight miles of shoreline, teems with the abundant waterfowl for which the Chesapeake Bay is famous. Friends since their high school days together in Baltimore, Partlow and Gerber now use the property for duck hunting, bird watching, and "just messing around in the marsh." Having the property is an excellent excuse for a boat ride, since most of it is accessible only by water," says Partlow. In fact, most of the property is within the Bay's Critical Area boundary, indicating its importance in maintaining the integrity of the marsh and the Bay ecosystem. "We've seen all kinds of wading birds and ducks, including a large population of black ducks, bald eagles and other birds. One September morning, four different types of herons and egrets, eight birds in all, landed in my decoys in a small pond," relates Partlow. Adds Gerber, "The woodlands and tidal wetlands add a lot to the diversity of wildlife we find there. The marshes have been ditched for mosquito control and we will seek permits to block them and restore the natural hydrology to the tidal wetlands." For Gerber, this purchase is one of many he has been involved in since coming to the Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage: "All we need to do is look at Maryland's ravaged natural landscape to see that we are in a race to preserve and restore enough wildlife habitat to protect our precious wildlife heritage for future generations. I hope and pray that in 500 years black duck, clapper rails and other critters will still be nesting on this beautiful wetland we are privileged to have temporary stewardship of." As for Partlow, he cannot say enough about CWH's innovative conservation work: "In short, they have had unparalleled success in coming up with creative approaches to conserving land." The truth is, everyone, including Partlow, Gerber, Bernstein and Lambert, deserve credit for putting this one-of-a-kind deal together and seeing it through to the end.
Mr. Posey’s Special Treasure Driving along the very densely wooded Tayloe's Neck Road in Charles County, you would not guess that just beyond the road lies a naturalist's treasure. Enter the long driveway of Mr. Calvert Posey and proceed to a scenic panoramic view of farmlands, wooded swamp and marshlands on the Nanjemoy Creek. Posey's 410-acre tract includes approximately 260-acres of woodland, 110-acres of farmland, and 30-acres of wetlands called Cabin Gut Marsh. The scenic shoreline is visible from Barn Cove and the Nanjemoy Creek, a major navigable tributary of the Potomac River. The Nanjemoy has been identified as a potential Wild and Scenic River Tributary by the U.S. National Park Service and Maryland's Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Most of the property is located within the Tayloe Neck Natural Area designated in the Maryland Uplands Natural Areas Study. These areas are characterized by marshes, bogs, swamps, flats and floodplains and are usually near significant geologic and historic sites. Move cautiously and quietly on Posey's land so as not to disturb its precious wildlife. The Nanjemoy Creek is a known habitat and feeding area, supporting an abundance of wildlife, including a bird community of unusual diversity and productivity. According to Gary Taylor of DNR's Forest, Park and Wildlife Service, the endangered bald eagle spends time here. Its preferred nest sites in this Chesapeake Bay watershed are atop loblolly pines within sight of water. Striped bass, shad and crabs are plentiful. Cord or marsh grasses grow thick to provide food and shelter for mink, beavers, muskrats and river otters. Chain pickerel live in the creek and spawn in the marsh. The marsh looks dull in spring but is luxuriant in summer with mallows and wild rice, cardinal flowers, wild irises, putty-root orchids and pink lady's slippers. Posey says he remembers learning the ways of the creek and marsh from his bachelor uncle, Henry Posey. While staying in riverside shanties many days of the year, his uncle fished for striped bass, shad and crabs. The creek now supports some forty different fish species. Those were the days when cord grass and sedge grew thickly in Cabin Gut Marsh, providing food and shelter for the muskrats that Posey learned to trap. "It's still a great place for river otters. They raise their young in dens there. It's one of the few places you can go and see fresh signs of otter. I used to be a hunter, but I've traded in my gun for a camera." Posey, a quiet man who says he likes people but enjoys the isolation of his land, farmed near Cabin Gut Marsh much of his life, raising tobacco, corn and livestock. When he was much younger he would run his dogs on Bluff Point along the Nanjemoy Creek in search of raccoon. "Those dogs would always go into this young cedar forest and head right for a huge, dead locust that stood all by itself in the forest. I never saw anything around that tree but they always headed there." Years later, when the cedar forest in southern Charles County was cleared for farmland, a bulldozer uncovered the remains of an Indian village – piles of oyster shells, arrowheads and artifacts. Posey owns the collection of artifacts recovered from two archeological digs on his property. Both are prehistoric archeological sites and numerous lithic and ceramic artifacts were recovered there. This included projectile points, axes, celts, hammerstones and debitages. According to Lois Brown (Archeologist with DNR's Maryland Geological Survey) and George Andreve (Environmental Review Administrator with the Maryland Historical Trust), additional prehistoric resources, not yet identified, may be present here. Posey has a special reverence for the history and spirit of the land along the Nanjemoy Creek. He interprets Nanjemoy as an Indian name meaning "Haunt of the Raccoon." When he was a middle-aged man, Posey began taking college courses in science and archeology to bolster what he had taught himself. He graduated from St. Mary's College in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in biology. And he began to publish booklets on the history of Charles County, which were often edited by his late wife, Judith. In 1969, he wrote "How the Indians of Maryland Affected Its Early Settlement," followed two years later by an ecological history of the county. In 1970, Judith Posey published a booklet on the Nanjemoy Indians, whom she called the "former aristocrats" of Charles County. Posey distributed these to the libraries and schools in the county, where he sometimes lectures. He believes various cultures of Indians lived in villages by the creek for more than 5,000 years before the white man settled Charles County. "With the settlement of Maryland in 1634 by the English, the Indian cultural influence essentially ended. Some Indians did remain along the Nanjemoy Creek for another 60 to 70 years," Posey wrote in "The Creek of the Nanjemoy," his latest study. "I don't know how much they listen in school these days," Posey said. So to further his conservation-oriented objective, he is developing the Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center. The site provides Charles County teachers and students with the natural resources of the area on foot and by canoe. Sessions are coordinated by Steve Cardano, Environmental Education Specialist for the Charles County Board of Education Science Department. Grants from the State Board of Education help to provide facilities and equipment. The Nanjemoy's tidal waters remain pristine, but Posey worries that the wildlife supported by the creeks and marshes could disappear like the Indians. So to prevent development of the land, Posey donated a perpetual conservation easement on his entire 410-acre property to the Maryland Environmental Trust. "I've enjoyed this area all my life, I just want to pass it on to other generations to enjoy and not see it covered with houses someday.... There's not much development here yet, but it will come." Through deed restrictions tailored to protect the land, the conservation easement will help Posey protect his very special treasure. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shirley Massenburg is on the staff of the Maryland Environmental Trust.
A Treasure in "The Cove" Alverta and Louise Dillon, sisters and retired school teachers, donated a perpetual conservation easement and then bequeathed their entire Garrett County property to the Maryland Environmental Trust in 1984. Originally a revolutionary war grant, the property was purchased by the sisters' maternal grandparents around 1870. The land is an integral part of "The Cove", an open scenic valleyscape highly visible from a public overlook on U.S. Route 219 in the northwest part of the county. Included on the property are 151 acres of productive farmland, woodland, pastureland and wildlife habitat. Much of the farm functions to protect the watershed of a local stream. Other features of prominence and pride cited by Alverta and Louise are a pond for waterfowl, a substantial home built in 1928, a smokehouse, a barn, and a circa 1800 springhouse. The property is included in the Maryland Historical Trust's Historic Sites Survey. Alverta Dillon describes herself as "a mixture of biologist, ecologist and conservationist with a bit of horticulturist thrown in." Louise is a home economist and specializes in cooking, canning and sewing as well as conservation. Both are very active in the maintenance of their property and in the cultivation of a large variety of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. As members of the Maryland Ornithological Society (MOS), the Dillon sisters permit MOS groups to use their property for birding purposes. They feel they possess a treasure of beauty and wish to share it with others. The cove area supports a variety of animal life including deer, waterfowl, numerous songbirds, grouse, groundhog, rabbit, grey squirrel, wild turkey, frog, opposum and rainbow trout in the pond. The open fields are covered with wild flowers, strawberries, and some cultivated asparagus, the seeds of which are transported by the birds. Alverta and Louise are dedicated naturalists and are enthusiastic about conservation and enhancement of the many resources found on their land. Their commitments extend well beyond their immediate surroundings to the complex environmental issues facing our state and the country. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Shirley Massenburg is on the staff of the Maryland Environmental Trust.
Dr. Norton Dodge and the Meinhart family, St. Mary’s County (2001 Land Marks Newsletter)
One of the two farms preserved was Cremona, owned by Dr. Norton Dodge, a 974-acre historic farm on the Patuxent River in the northeastern area of St. Mary’s County. The easement protects old growth forest, highly productive farmland including an experimental vineyard, pasture, riverscape, wildlife habitat including bald eagles and nesting beaches of the Diamondback Terrapin, steep slopes, wetlands, historic structures, and archaeological resources. The easement allows for an environmental research and education center as well as an historical, environmental and archaeological museum. The other farm – the 577-acre Old Parlett Family Farm, also known as the Patuxent View Farm, consists of highly productive farmland, forest, and valuable wetlands. The easement limits development and keeps this property in farming and forestry. It is contiguous with two other protected properties, creating a large block of protected land in the Trent Hall Neck area. The Governor announced at Cremona Farm at the end of June 2001 that the project will receive additional funding of $3.75 million for fiscal year 2002. The Maryland Environmental Trust is very pleased by the Governor’s decision to support this effort and is looking forward to working with the PTLT on the upcoming easements on properties contiguous to Cremona. These properties all have important public values, including the site of the origin of fox hunting in the United States, an historic site from the War of 1812, colonial and pre-colonial archaeological resources, and historic structures. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Diane Chasse is on the staff of the Maryland Environmental Trust
Irvine Center Signs Caves Valley Easement
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jim Highsaw is on the staff of the Maryland Environmental Trust
Fred Joyner and Paula Monroe (and father Paul), Worcester County (2001 Land Marks Newsletter)
Paul Joyner proudly points out the unique features of the conservation easement agreement he and his sister, Paula Monroe, crafted with the Rural Legacy Program – a 20-acre habitat protection area in the woods above Price’s Creek, forested buffer plantings totaling 27 acres that were established last fall through the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), and conservation easement terms that allow only one residence on this waterfront farm of 553 acres. Such a low level of development may seem extraordinary in a county generally known for development associated with Ocean City. But not so in the Worcester County Coastal Bays Rural Legacy Area – 9,000 acres located in a watershed that is only 2% developed, a watershed that is part of the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program and where the State, the County and conservation organizations are working quickly to protect over 16 miles of undeveloped shoreline. You have to see it to believe it! The Rural Legacy Program was initially designed to combine the flexibility, in terms of meeting the unique needs of each landowner, of the donated conservation easement with the cash payment of a purchased development rights easement. The Lower Shore Land Trust and The Conservation Fund negotiated highly customized agreements with Rural Legacy Program advocate Ralph Chapman, the Joyners and several others. Paula and Paul, along with their father Fred Joyner, are forest stewards and have been managing their woodlands for a variety of wood products over the years. So too, has Ralph Chapman. Their conservation easements were negotiated with the right to grow and harvest wood in a sustainable manner. As for the Joyners and Paula Monroe, “Our main concern, was whether we would be able to cut the timber – when it’s time to cut. They allowed us to do it and it’s in the contract. That was a real big factor because trees are going to be a part of our retirement.” Ralph Chapman felt equally as strong about retaining his timber rights, “The management of the timber . . . we wanted to be able to continue to do that.” Ralph Chapman believes in the program, has been an advocate extraordinaire to anyone willing to consult him. He says, “ . . . to make this thing really work well it was the combination of the habitat protected area, the CREP . . . all of the different parts of it to come together . . . that made it a lot more attractive so far as the funding of it, and I think that’s true, that certainly does influence the property owner when he’s able to package the different parts . . . together.” ABOUT THE AUTHOR: John Hutson is on the staff of the Maryland Environmental Trust
|
Jim Myers, president of Myers Roofing, may spend his work days atop such illustrious buildings as the White House and the Pentagon, but his true passions are fishing and hunting on Maryland’s Lower Eastern shore. He shares his enthusiasm and energy for nature, conservation and hunting with both his son and his nephew, Richard Myers and James Daniell. Together the three men have worked over the years to create upland game and waterfowl habitats within their 257-acre Myers Island Hunt Club property in western Somerset County. Toward this end, Jim sought information and planning advice from experts in waterfowl habitat and forestry management. The habitats created on the property are excellent and, in 2004, the Myers family decided that they are deserving of future protection and preservation. Jim donated a conservation easement on the land to the Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) and Lower Shore Land Trust (LSLT).
President Theodore Roosevelt established a conservation ethic during his lifetime, which continues to influence the nation and his family today. Roosevelt's granddaughter and an MET easement donor, Grace Roosevelt McMillan, recalled some important contributions her grandfather made to conservation. Roosevelt's interest in nature started as a young boy. "Like all young boys he liked to collect things," said Mrs. McMillan. However, unlike most young boys, Roosevelt was not haphazard in his collecting. In 1867 when Roosevelt was nine years old he founded his own Roosevelt Natural History Museum.
Marvin Tenberg never expected to be a landowner. Over a year ago some family friends wanted to buy a fifty-eight acre property in Baltimore County, but found that they could not afford to purchase the entire parcel of land. They then asked Mr. Tenberg if he would be interested in buying twenty acres of the property.
Enter Paul Facchina, owner of Facchina Construction Company. He recently signed his fifth conservation easement to the MET on 222 acres of land in St. Mary’s County. He is only the fourth individual in the Trust’s 30-year history to permanently conserve over 1,000 acres of land and the first to do so since 1986.
“We at MET are thrilled to accept this gift,” said MET Director John Bernstein, “and very grateful for this opportunity to assist David and Dana with their conservation goals.”
The Payne family first began considering protecting their land from development in the early 1990s after the death of Bob’s father and some zoning changes in the County that alarmed them. “It’s a lot easier to pass on the land without the development rights on it,” was Bob’s conclusion from the experience. They looked at their options. Bob was impatient with the length of time it took to sell an easement to the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program. (This was during an earlier budget crunch when funding for agricultural land preservation was diverted to the General Fund.) And even the remote possibility of someone in the future undoing the easement made him wary. The MET easement felt safer to him and it was customized to allow for the continuation of farming. But why donate an easement when you could sell it? For Bob it’s simple, “I gave away something I never intended to sell.”
The first time I met Walter Harris, on assignment to write about his Century Farm home, it took him less than three seconds to size me up. “You’re not from here,” he stated in that special tone reserved for those who are.
Tucked within the bedroom community of
Fort Washington, Maryland, is a remnant from
the past called the Broad Creek Historic District.
Old Livingston Road runs through the district,
and within the area are historic Harmony Hall,
St. John’s Church, and over 200 acres of federal
and state lands. In November of 2000,
homeowners Carroll and Jane Savage made a generous
contribution to the preservation of this historic
area by signing a conservation easement. The
Savages own Piscataway House, a rare surviving
representative of mid-eighteenth century domestic
architecture that is nestled within the Broad
Creek Historic District and abuts public land on
three sides. The house was built in the mid 1700’s
in the Town of Piscataway, but was moved in 1942
to avoid demolition. The house has a view of Broad
Creek and is a one-and-one-half story frame structure
with a steeply gabled roof. One section of the
house is separated from the main house by a courtyard
and serves as guest quarters, while another
section is connected to the main house by an enclosed
walkway and serves as additional accommodations.
Under the easement, which is co-held
by the Maryland Environmental Trust, the Broad
Creek Conservancy and the Maryland Historical
Trust, any renovations to the exterior of the house
must be consistent with the character of the house
and no other residential structures may be built
on the property. This easement is the first one for
the Broad Creek Conservancy.
A 306-ACRE ESTATE in Frederick County just outside of Thurmont is reminiscent of estates of
the 18th and 19th century. Sitting majestically
on the estate, facing the Monocacy River is
Pennterra Manor, a beautiful late eighteenth-century stone
house. The Lucey family has owned Pennterra for over 40
years. Bordered on the southern and eastern boundaries by
the Monocacy River and including bluffs and woodland on
the opposite bank of the River, it is bisected by Creagers
Branch, a small tributary to the Monocacy. Most of the
farm is cropland, with some pasture. The pasture fields contain habitat for grassland breeding birds such as Upland Sandpiper,
Eastern Meadowlark, Grasshopper Sparrow.
Vesper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, and American Kestrel.
These birds are disappearing from the state as well as
the region.
In a state with many beautiful rivers, perhaps none is more striking than the mighty
Potomac. Thanks to the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Facchina, Sr., the lower
Potomac's fate is now looking greener than ever. In early 2000, the Facchinas
donated their second easement on the historic Mt. Air Farm, which sits along the
river's shoreline about midway between Washington, D.C., and its confluence with
the Chesapeake Bay.
How many people does it take to conserve a property? The easy answer is two a
buyer and a seller. But there were no easy answers in lower Somerset County,
where MET and the Lower Shore Land Trust (LSLT) worked with 16 land owners
and two conservation buyers to protect nearly 1,000 acres of prime marshland.
It all started when MET and the LSLT received a letter from one of the owners
indicating her interest in donating the property for conservation purposes. "Great,
let's get this done," thought everyone involved. Not so fast. As it turned out, that
owner owned only a 5% interest in the property, while the rest was owned by 15
others. Any donation or sale would need the consent of every single one of them!
Abigail Lambert at LSLT was not dismayed, and began tracking down one landowner
after another. Eventually, Ralph Partlow, an attorney with Allfirst Bank in Baltimore,
and Ned Gerber, an Eastern Shore conservationist and executive director of the
Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage, stepped in as conservation buyers. "[MET Director]
John Bernstein contacted Ned, who then got in touch with me. We took one look
at the property and decided to try to acquire it," said Partlow.
In 1997, the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust (PTLT)
and St. Mary’s County Government joined forces to
preserve land in the Huntersville area of St. Mary’s
County. By March 2001, the Maryland Environmental
Trust (MET) had worked in partnership with Patuxent
Tidewater Land Trust and the Trust for Public Land to complete
two conservation easements totaling more than 1,500
acres. They sought and obtained funding to purchase conservation
easements through the Rural Legacy Program of
the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
IN AUGUST 2000, an unusual project was completed
when the Maryland Environmental Trust and the
Caves Valley Land Trust received an easement
on 115 acres of farmland, woodland and wetlands in
Caves Valley, Baltimore County. The property was conveyed
by the State of Maryland to the Irvine Natural Science Center
for its environmental education programs. Formerly part of
Rosewood State Hospital, the property was a key piece in
completing the protection of the Valley.
The easement allows the Irvine Center
to construct a nature center, trails and
related facilities to use for its programs.
Also, the Maryland Department of the
Environment (MDE) will conduct a
wetlands restoration project on the property.
The State had surplus property, the
Irvine Center was looking for a new
home, the Caves Valley Land Trust was
looking for a way to protect this property,
and MDE was looking for wetland
restoration sites. So this project was a
good match for all the participants.
According to Mitch Kolkin, President
of the Caves Valley Land Trust, “We
contacted Governor Glendening and
Department of Natural Resources Secretary
Griffin about this project during
the summer of 1996, in response to the
Governor’s Smart Growth Initiative. At
that point we had conservation easements
in place for every undeveloped
tract in private hands; so this parcel was
literally the last piece of the puzzle, in terms of our efforts to
preserve the Caves Valley. Irvine was a perfect fit; to the
Governor’s lasting credit, his administration recognized that
Irvine’s environmental programs would be an appropriate
use of the property and made it happen.”
The Caves Valley is a 2,000-acre valley northwest of Baltimore.
Originally a plantation of the Carroll family, it contains
farmland, woodland, wetlands, and the headwaters of
the Jones Falls (a natural trout stream). It has been recognized
as a National Register Historic District. Beginning with
a 103-acre easement in 1988, MET and the Caves Valley Land
Trust now hold easements on over 1,300 acres in the Valley.
PAUL JOYNER, former County Commissioner, on
placing a conservation easement on his
family’s 553-acre farm in Worcester County:
“. . . I’ve never wanted to develop it, ever.” Paul
Joyner has known the farm since 1938, having traveled with
four other Clemson University graduates, all sleeping and
living out of one car traveling north to interview for work.
“I gave somewhere in the neighborhood of $7.00 an acre for
it in 1954, and I’ve had numerous times to really profit from
it. There was no zoning then, and even after there was zoning
it was a beautiful place to develop . . . I’m so happy that
it’s going to stay like this forever, and you know the grandchildren
. . .they all love it too, so they made the right decision,
there’s no doubt in my mind and I tell people – I’ve
told a lot of them.”