With almost $2 million in new grants approved, Cecil, Frederick, and Somerset counties are set to upgrade parks and safeguard critical farmland, fueling healthier communities and stronger local economies.
The Maryland Board of Public Works has approved over $1.9 million for park improvements and land conservation projects in Cecil, Frederick, and Somerset counties. The funding comes through several Maryland Department of Natural Resources programs, including Program Open Space Local, Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure, Community Parks and Playgrounds, and the Rural Legacy Program.
Frederick County leads the way with support for multiple park upgrades. Nearly $275,000 from Program Open Space – Local will fund projects like new playgrounds, restrooms, and a scoreboard. The county will also receive $220,000 to develop B&O Railroad Park, designed with a railroad theme, and $240,000 to build a hiker-biker trail connecting Young Nature Preserve to Doubs Meadow Park. A new pavilion is also planned at Doubs Meadow Park.
Somerset County will benefit from a $1 million investment to expand the Long Centralized Athletic Complex. Planned enhancements include new pickleball and basketball courts, playground equipment, a walking path extension, and improved turf fields.
In Cecil County, $185,000 from the Rural Legacy Program will allow the Cecil Land Trust to acquire a conservation easement on 42 acres in the Fair Hill Rural Legacy Area. The protected land will help preserve farmland and forested stream buffers that feed Little North East Creek, a drinking water source for the Town of North East.
As previously reported by MACo, in the 2025 legislative session, counties successfully pushed back against some of the most harmful budget cut proposals — including proposed reductions to local Program Open Space funding. This latest round of investments demonstrates the importance of protecting vital funding streams that directly benefit communities through improved recreation access, preserved green space, and support for local priorities.
All projects were approved at the May 7, 2025, meeting of the Board of Public Works, which includes Governor Wes Moore, Treasurer Dereck E. Davis, and Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman.
