The Washington County Division of Planning & Zoning has announced that with funding from Washington County and the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF), a 143.65-acre farm was preserved, adding to the more than 40,000 acres of permanently preserved land in the County.  

The easement was procured through a Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program (MALPP) easement that was sold on a dairy farm on Rinehart Road in Smithsburg. The property is a large farm with a historic house and cemetery that lies in the valley just west of South Mountain. Procuring this easement has helped to create a 500+ acre block of permanently preserved land in the area and will aid neighboring properties in their pursuit of permanent easements.

MALPP is the County’s most prolific land preservation program, accounting for over 16,000 acres and 40% of the permanent easements in the County. It is funded and administered by the Maryland Dept. of Agriculture’s (MDA’s) Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) and locally by the Land Preservation Office of the Washington County Department of Planning & Zoning.

Land preservation efforts like this play a crucial role in maintaining Washington County’s agricultural heritage and natural beauty. They also provide long-term benefits for the environment and local economy by ensuring that farmland remains available for agricultural use and reducing the pressure of development.

See the full release for more details on the program and the land preservation process.