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Mission Statement
Conserve, steward, and advocate for the unique rural landscape of the Eastern Shore.

ExcellenceITAC Accreditation
eastern shore maryland farmland conservation

January 2013

January 30, 2013

Call for Submissions for Kids’ Essay and Art Contests

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy has announced a call for entries for the sixth annual Kids’ Essay and Art Contests. The contests are open to all students in grades pre-kindergarten through eight in the six Upper and Mid-Shore Counties including Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Caroline, Talbot and Dorchester. Essay Contest Rules and Entry Form Art Contest Rules and Entry Form Students entering the contests should demonstrate through writing or visual art where and how they like to play and spend time on the Shore. Essays and artwork might illustrate favorite parks, events or activities, or visions and dreams they have for future parks and open spaces. Art entries are open to students from pre-K through eighth grade. Essay entries are open to students in grades five through eight. Prizes will be given to the first- and second-place posters and essays. Art submissions will be judged in categories of pre-K through second grade, grades three to five, and grades six through eight. Full details, contest rules, and an application form can be found on ESLC’s website at www.eslc.org. Completed essays and posters can be mailed to the Sassafras Environmental Education Center, Kids Essay/Art Contests, 13761 Turners Creek Rd, Kennedyville, MD 21645. Deadline for submissions is April 1, 2013.

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January 30, 2013

2013 Deadline for Howard Wood Scholarship Announced

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) is accepting applications for the Howard Wood Memorial Scholarship, a $1,000 scholarship honoring a founding board member of ESLC – Howard Wood – who was committed to maintaining the Eastern Shore’s rich rural and agricultural legacy. The Howard Wood Scholarship was established by the family of the Mr. Wood to honor his lifelong commitment to youth, conservation and the Eastern Shore’s rich rural heritage. ESLC is currently accepting applications for the 2013 scholarship. The scholarship application is open to high school seniors who intend to pursue careers in agriculture, land use planning, alternative energy planning or other conservation related fields. The opportunity is open to residents of the six counties ESLC serves – Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s and Talbot. Applications are available on ESLC’s website, or may be requested via phone. To apply, applicants should fill out an application, provide a transcript and submit a 500-word original essay describing their response to the following question: Consider the Eastern Shore in the next 25 years – what is your vision for the Shore? What will you do to ensure that the Eastern Shore remains a unique, rural gem long into the future? Please include your academic plans, career aspirations and future goals when responding to this question. Scholarship applications are due by March 29, 2013. Applications will be reviewed by family members of Howard Wood. One scholarship recipient will be selected, and the winner will be announced in May 2013. For more information about the scholarship program, contact Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s Sassafras Environmental Education Center at jbelanger@eslc.org or (410) 348–5214. About the Howard Wood Memorial Scholarship Howard Wood spent summers at his grandmother’s farm crabbing, sailing and swimming if the jellyfish weren’t too thick. He helped with chores and learned to drive her Model T pick-up. After college and law

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January 24, 2013

O’Malley Commits $1 Million to Eastern Shore Conservation Center

Governor Martin O’Malley released his FY 2014 Capital Budget, which includes a $1 million commitment to the Eastern Shore Conservation Center. The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy hopes to renovate the old McCord laundry building to provide office space for several nonprofit organizations. The redevelopment project is consistent with ESLC’s efforts to assist in the redevelopment of towns on the Eastern Shore. It would restore a deteriorated building and provide upwards of 50 jobs to downtown Easton. The condition of the building has had a negative effect on the surrounding area in Easton’s South Washington Street Corridor. Vacant buildings can promote crime, increase property damage, and discourage additional investment in the neighborhood. Redevelopment is needed in that area to counteract the impact of the relocation of Memorial Hospital at Easton and to spur revitalization of the neighborhood. “Governor O’Malley’s funding of the Eastern Shore Conservation Center is a testament to his understanding of the project’s importance to Smart Growth, revitalization and the strengthening of our towns,” said former Gov. Harry Hughes. Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is raising funds for the center, a charismatic green building that, if completed, would bring new vitality to both the neighborhood and the town. The Eastern Shore Conservation Center would create a working home for conservation organizations and businesses – including Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. This hub of activity will spark collaboration and innovation around conservation at a new scale for the Eastern Shore. “We are grateful to Gov. O’Malley for his commitment to the Eastern Shore,” said ESLC Executive Director Rob Etgen. “This project will serve as a model of downtown revitalization and economic development on the Eastern Shore, and I’m pleased that the governor believes in this vision for conservation and for rural Maryland.” Formal settlement on the McCord building in Easton, where ESLC hopes to create the Conservation Center,

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January 15, 2013

The Rural Jobs Agenda

Our Vision for Rural Maryland Rural areas like the Eastern Shore of Maryland will be places of innovation and opportunity, with vibrant towns, thriving farms and forests, and economies built from rural strengths. 2013 Rural Jobs Agenda Strengthen Towns as Economic Hubs - Towns are the commerce centers for rural communities. For the sustainability of rural lands and industry, it’s essential that towns are healthy, attractive places to live and work. Continue support the Sustainable Communities Tax Credit.  Last year the recipients of this credit helped create 740 construction jobs in projects that will revitalize communities and promote green building practices. Ten projects that scored highest in the application process received a total of $11 million in tax credits to help leverage construction projects with a total estimated cost of $82 million. Support creation of the Eastern Shore Conservation Center.  This project would restore multiple historic buildings in downtown Easton, MD and turn it into a non-profit conservation and innovation complex that could potentially bring over 100 full-time jobs to the town and provide public meeting space for community projects. Support town-wide tech innovation funding. Town-wide WiFi, and Solar-Trees are examples of technology projects that draw business and vibrancy to towns. Reinstitute MDE’s Loan Forgiveness Program for minor Wastewater Treatment Plants. We can support the fiscal and environmental health of our rural communities by ensuring future funding from the Bay Restoration Fund is targeted for minor wastewater treatment plants. Support circuit rider funding initiatives or other efforts to help local governments with their Watershed Implementation Plans (WIPs) Protect and Invest in Rural Lands- The Eastern Shore should be a landmark example of rural protection and investment. Collaboration and investment in tourism and traditional working landscapes is the key to protecting rural heritage and supporting its future. Safeguard farms by funding Program Open Space, MALPF, and other land preservation programs. Seek robust State investment in the regional economic

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