ESLC Concludes Successful Year in Land Protection
Queenstown, Maryland - December 31, 2007 -Nearly 5,000 acres of the Eastern Shore have been forever protected this year, bringing the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy's total protection area to 43,424 acres. ESLC, a private land conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of wildlife and habitat on the Eastern Shore, announced its land conservation report for 2007 today, highlighting projects in Dorchester, Cecil and Kent, Queen Anne's and Talbot County. Recently completed projects, by county, include the following: Cecil County Claggett Farm: Located north of Cecilton, this 209 acre protected area, which is located in the Chesapeake Critical Area, provides lots of frontage on Scotchman's Creek and contributes to the growing mass of protected land in the lower part of Cecil County. Dorchester County Good Luck Farm -Located on the Little Blackwater River, protection of this 1,435 acres of agricultural land will help ensure that the agricultural heritage of this region is maintained for future generations of farming families. The first phase of this project was completed in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and the second phase is slated to include State and Federal funding, anticipated in 2008. Hale: The Hale family's protection of their 213 acres in Dorchester County with Chicamacomico River frontage offers superb wildlife habitat preservation and scenic views along both sides of Griffith Neck Road and the Chicamacomico River. Lighthizer - This conservation easement in Eldorado will protect 74 acres near the important Marshyhope Rural Legacy Area. The easement will protect an historic viewshed for the circa 1783-1790 residence "Rehoboth" and the farm borders a Natural Heritage Area designated as such for the presence of numerous rare, threatened and endangered species, including several Bald Eagle nests and two rare plant species and two threatened plant species. Kent County Bramble: The Bramble family has forever protected 324 acres north of Rock Hall, adjacent