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February 25, 2014

Program Open Space funding

Help protect Program Open Space by telling your legislator to follow the law and add bond funding back into the budget. The future of Maryland’s precious farms, open spaces, and priceless ecological resources depends on you! Find your Maryland State Legislator here:http://1.usa.gov/1h6rWKI Maryland can't afford to lose open space funding – especially now! We’ve already lost $1 billion that was intended for buying land, at a time when land prices are low. Now the state legislature may vote to divert more funding away from protecting the land we need for our future. Maryland taxpayers pay to preserve land for parks, recreation and farmland across the state through Program Open Space, funded by a dedicated portion of the real estate transfer tax. In previous years, when the economy was tough, some DIRECT FUNDING was DIVERTED but replaced with bond funding. In this year's proposed budget, however, the direct funding is being diverted WITHOUT the necessary bond repayment, putting future funding in jeopardy.

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February 24, 2014

Leigh family preserves a piece of Betterton

BETTERTON — Rob Leigh thinks often about his grandmother, Lillie Leigh, and the walks they took together when he was a child. They would walk from the Leigh house along the beach in one direction and return through the woods. “I think about that fairly often — the walks we used to have and the help grandparents can be to their grandchildren,” he said. Lillie Leigh would tell her grandchildren, “You’re worth a waterfront farm.” With that phrase, Rob Leigh said, Lillie Leigh put the conservation bug in the ear of her grandchildren. They put value in that property, but Rob Leigh never dreamed he would own it. Years later, his sister would introduce him to his future wife, Linda, on that beach. In the early 1970s, a developer asked Betterton to annex the farm property adjacent to the Leigh family home. Rob and Linda Leigh opposed the development, which would have included a golf course and about 200 houses. The development never came to fruition, and the farm was auctioned in 1997. Rob and Linda Leigh bought the property with the encouragement of the extended Leigh family, in the hopes of preventing another developer from building something not in line with the Leighs’ vision of Betterton. The Leighs immediately evaluated the property, which has been farmed since the 17th century, Rob Leigh said. They worked with Kent County Soil Conservation and the Department of Natural Resources. They put in five waterways to help control erosion, restored a 1-acre pond, planted about 1,800 trees to help absorb runoff, and planted some warm season grasses. In December, the Leighs placed on the property a conservation easement held by Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and Maryland Environmental Trust. “We go up there as a family, and we camp on the farm,” Rob Leigh said. “We do a lot of hiking and fishing,

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February 21, 2014

Complete Streets

Last week we posted about neckdowns (or “sneckdowns” in the snow), but that's just one part of the “complete streets” concept. Complete streets are those that provide a range of benefits, both to the environment and the surrounding community. Specifically, complete streets often incorporate green infrastructure elements such as bioretention islands, permeable pavements, street trees, and vegetated swales (just to name a few!). These features effectively capture stormwater runoff and prevent it from reaching and thus polluting the Bay. As if that’s not exciting enough, they also add beautiful aesthetics to an otherwise boring street! Complete streets also revolve around the idea of reclaiming more road space for pedestrians instead of cars. Often times, streets are dominated by automobiles, making it dangerous for people to cross and a hindrance for neighbors that want to get to know each other and build a sense of community. Many complete streets include bike lanes and traffic-calming devices (such as curb bumpouts), so that residents feel more encouraged to bike and less inclined to drive, and also so that cars travel through more slowly. A shining example of a complete street is in Edmonston, MD where, through the help of grants and EPA funds, the community turned a derelict street into a thriving neighborhood asset. Read the full story. Are there any streets in your neighborhood that you think could use a complete street makeover? Design your own street using www.streetmix.net and share your creation with ESLC using the hashtag #eslccompletestreets on Facebook or Twitter. Or leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts! - Kara Nave

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February 12, 2014

Show Us Your Sneckdowns!

"Sneckdown" is a portmanteau of the words “snow” and “neckdown.”If you’re unfamiliar with exactly what a neckdown is, it’s simply an extension of the curb (also called a “bumpout”) around corners where cars are turning. Neckdowns often are used as a traffic-calming feature and to provide more space for pedestrians on the sidewalk. These areas can be landscaped (vegetated curb extensions) and serve as a stormwater management tool to capture runoff. For more information on green infrastructure practices, check out this useful fact sheet: EPA Green Streets. After a bout of winter weather (that the Eastern Shore has been all too familiar with this year!) and when streets are covered in snow, it’s easy to spot areas of the road that cars don’t use—and you’d be surprised at how much space that is! Untouched snow surrounding a corner curb or in the middle of the street displays to transportation officials and planners a perfect illustration of unused road space. And instead of keeping that wasted extra footage, sneckdowns show the ideal spot for more pedestrian-friendly development. Photo courtesy of This Old City As the Eastern Shore braces for yet another winter storm, ESLC wants to see where you are spotting sneckdowns in your town. How much road space could be reclaimed for pedestrian use? So once the snow starts falling, be sure to send us your photos via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, with the hashtag #shoresneckdowns and tell us what town is shown. Or if you’d rather e-mail us your pictures, send it to info@eslc.org with the subject line “Shore Sneckdowns.” Stay warm and be sure to spot those sneckdowns!

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January 24, 2014

ESLC Releases 2014 State Legislative Agenda

ANNAPOLIS — Today, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy released its 2014 State Legislative Agenda calling for major investments in rural Maryland, robust land conservation funding, and continued support for locally produced renewable energy projects. Some of the items in the agenda include support for continued conservation program funding, support for the Rural Maryland Prosperity Investment Fund, support for a Cross-Bay Travel Alternatives Study bill, and support for the 2014 Community Renewable Energy Generation bill. ESLC’s agenda points out that conservation monies support much more than farms and scenic landscapes and that these funds help support hunting grounds, parks, bike paths, public access sites and more. “We need to support our farms and resource-based industries here on the Shore, and we can do that through the support for Rural Legacy, Program Open Space, and Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation funding”, said ESLC Policy Manager Josh Hastings. In addition to support for expansion of Maryland Wildlands, the agenda calls for the Maryland General Assembly to pass a Cross-Bay Travel Alternatives study bill which its says could help alleviate Bay Bridge traffic congestion while evaluating options for private investment in cross bay travel. ESLC’s white paper on transportation is available under Public Policy Resources at eslc.org. “How we travel in our rural region is a critical piece of our quality of life,” said ESLC Deputy Director Amy Owsley. “We hope to help focus attention on how best to make the most of our infrastructure through investments in transit and transportation policy innovations. Creativity and partnerships would go a long way to easing some of our most pressing transportation challenges.” ESLC also supports the 2014 Community Renewable Energy bill, which is said to allow Maryland farms and other rural businesses to install renewable-energy-generating devices such as solar panels or a wind turbine and share the energy credits among neighboring subscribers. These

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January 3, 2014

The Good Luck Farm

BUCKTOWN – A piece of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway has been preserved with a conservation easement, permanently protecting the historic and ecological features of the property. The Goodluck Farm is owned by Millie Lake, Benito Lake, Ellen Bronte Lake, and Ed James. Millie is the granddaughter of Martin Lake, who was born as a slave on The Brodess Plantation before the Civil War, according to a family history written by James. On his fourth try, Martin Lake escaped to freedom on the Underground Railroad (before Tubman was a conductor). Tubman once was enslaved on this property, and according to family history, Martin Lake met her. He joined the Union Army and after the war returned to Dorchester County. He worked for the Brodess family on the lands where he formerly was a slave, and the family gave him about three acres of farmland. Martin Lake’s son, Monroe Lake Sr., inherited one acre of the land and traded it to a family member, Millie Lake Clash. Monroe Lake Sr. also purchased other portions of the Brodess Plantation as they became available. “We are honored to work with the Lake family on protecting this important piece of the Eastern Shore,” said ESLC Executive Director Rob Etgen. “The stories that have occurred on and around this farm are critical to understanding where we have come from – and more importantly where we are going as a community. The conservation easement will protect and enrich these stories for future generations.” The Lake family, descendants of a slave on the farm, now own a large portion of the former plantation and maintain the Brodess family cemetery that still exists there. The Good Luck Farm is preserved under Program Open Space Coastal Resilience Easements, designed to protect areas that could be prone to high waters and storm surges. The easement protects

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December 5, 2013

Park donated in honor of man who rescued Stevensville landmarks

STEVENSVILLE – The man who helped preserve many Stevensville landmarks will be remembered with a park in his name on property his son donated to Queen Anne’s County. Roger W. Eisinger started buying as much property as he could in Stevensville in the 1980s, rebuilding an antique store and developing an arts district. His son, Bob Eisinger, still owned 5.27 acres of a farm Roger Eisinger purchased in the 1980s and wanted to preserve the parcel in his father’s name. Queen Anne’s County agreed to take ownership of the donated parcel and placed a conservation easement on it with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. The park would be open to the public and could possibly be the landing site for a pedestrian bridge over U.S. Route 50, connecting the two sides of The Cross Island Trail. Queen Anne’s County officials have struggled for years to figure out how to get people safely across Route 50, said County Administrator Gregg Todd. Todd contacted Dick McIntyre, who designed the Cross Island Trail. McIntyre agreed to sketch a design for a possible pedestrian bridge. The county plans to pursue funding for implementation. “The county is very grateful to the Eisinger family for dedicating this property to us which will be dedicated as the Roger W. Eisinger Jr. Park,” said Commissioner Dave Dunmyer. “We are also very excited about the park’s potential to serve as a gateway to a pedestrian walkway over Route 50 and as an environmental educational site through our partnership with the Midshore Riverkeepers.” When ESLC Executive Director Rob Etgen saw the parcel, he thought it would make a great park and began talking to community members and interested parties about it being a pedestrian bridge landing site. In the mid-1990s, he said, the Stevensville Community Plan team identified the property as a good spot for a park

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November 11, 2013

2010-2015 Strategic Plan

2010-15 Strategic Plan

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October 4, 2013

Unsinkable Shore Draws 200

The 14th Eastern Shore Planning Conference, Unsinkable Shore: Regional Resilience and Prosperity, Thursday drew about 200 people to the Tidewater Inn in Easton. ESLC Deputy Director Amy Owsley said she was impressed and encouraged by the energy and interest around climate change action for the region. A morning conference poll showed that participants overwhelming view climate change as a priority issue for local and regional action. Eastern Shore Land Conservancy thanks its speakers, sponsors, presenters, volunteers and attendees for making this one of the most successful planning conferences to date. Yesterday, Eastern Shore leaders came together to start a regional conversation about preparing agriculture, infrastructure and towns for projected climate changes. “The Eastern Shore has demonstrated again and again its ability to evolve without changing the core of who we are as a region,” Owsley said. “While our lands may be taking on water, the Eastern Shore character and spirit is undeniably unsinkable. Together, we can find ways to build resilience and find opportunities in the changes we face.” Since 1990, ESLC has helped to preserve nearly 54,000 acres on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Additionally, we support strong land use policies that protect our farms and rural landscapes. More recently, we have worked in partnership with Shore towns to help create open spaces and trails, to help use green designs to manage stormwater, and to use community design to help revitalize downtowns. ESLC recognizes that climate change can be a controversial topic. While we believe scientific data supports that the climate is changing, on this and all the tough issues facing the region, ESLC welcomes and respects all perspectives. Speaker presentations, a conference summary, and information on upcoming opportunities to continue the discussion on climate change resilience on Maryland’s Eastern Shore soon will be available on our website, eslc.org.

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August 15, 2013

ESLC Applies for Land Trust Alliance Accreditation

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy is applying for accreditation with the Land Trust Alliance, the national organization for land trusts. The Land Trust Accreditation Commission will accept comments on ESLC’s operations as part of an extensive review of ESLC’s program. According to LTA, “Accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission provides public recognition of land trusts that are engaged in the long-term protection of the land in the public interest. It increases public awareness of, and confidence in, land trusts and land conservation. Through the voluntary land trust accreditation program your land trust can achieve external verification that it is meeting national quality standards.” ESLC is committed to preserving and sustaining the vibrant communities of the Eastern Shore and the lands and waters that connect them. ESLC helps save land and promote sound land use planning from the C&D Canal in Cecil County all the way to the Nanticoke River in Dorchester County. Since 1990, ESLC has helped preserve nearly 54,000 acres. The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how Eastern Shore Land Conservancy complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards see www.landtrustaccreditation.org/getting-accredited/indicator-practices. To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org. Comments may also be faxed or mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments: (fax) 518-587-3183; (mail) 112 Spring Street, Suite 204, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Comments on Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s application will be most useful by August 31, 2013.

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BLOG

Program Open Space funding

Leigh family preserves a piece of Betterton

Complete Streets

Show Us Your Sneckdowns!

ESLC Releases 2014 State Legislative Agenda

The Good Luck Farm

Park donated in honor of man who rescued Stevensville landmarks

2010-2015 Strategic Plan

Unsinkable Shore Draws 200

ESLC Applies for Land Trust Alliance Accreditation

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