Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner announced a major initiative to protect prime agricultural lands – in pursuit of 100,000 acres preserved.

Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner today announced an initiative to accelerate agriculture preservation efforts. She proposed legislation that would increase the county’s investment to save valuable farmland in an effort to achieve the longstanding goal of preserving 100,000 acres of agricultural land. Preserving large blocks of land is
key to ensuring the long-term economic viability of agriculture.

“The time is now to preserve Frederick County’s rich agricultural land before our
cherished fields are lost to development,” said Executive Gardner. “Securing preservation easements for agriculture will ensure we leave a legacy of agriculture for future generations.”

Frederick County is home to 1,300 farms and more than 180,000 acres of farmland.
Applications to participate in the county’s agricultural preservation programs far exceed
available dollars. For example, the county recently received 46 applications for the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation program and can fund only five or six. The legislation has broad support from the agriculture community, including from the Agriculture Preservation Board, the Agriculture Business Council, and the Farm Bureau.

For more information, visit the Frederick County Executive’s website.