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July 30, 2012

ESLC Celebrates Land Conservation Successes

The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) announces a successful 2012 fiscal year for land preservation, during which more than 2,250 acres were preserved from northern Kent County to southern Dorchester County, including two easements each in Dorchester, Queen Anne’s and Talbot Counties, three in Kent County, and one in Caroline County. Five of these easements were donated to ESLC. The two easements donated by Queen Anne’s County landowners helped add to a block of contiguous preserved lands that now totals over 1,700 acres. The donated easement in Kent County helped a young farmer acquire a beautiful farm to continue the family farming tradition. In addition to preserving a 440-acre historic farm in Talbot County, ESLC partnered with the community of St. Michaels and the Maryland Environmental Trust on the preservation of a property that put to bed an immense housing development that had been looming unwanted over the community for years. ESLC also completed five purchased easements in FY2012; two Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program easements, 2 Rural Legacy easements and one easement to preserve habitat for the federally listed, endangered Delmarva Fox squirrel. The CREP easements preserved farms in Caroline and Dorchester Counties in order to protect the water quality in the Nanticoke and Choptank watersheds. Two Kent County Rural Legacy easements added more than 370 acres to a large, contiguous area of preserved land in the Sassafras Rural Legacy focus area. ESLC also partnered with The Nature Conservancy to purchase an easement that permanently protected a 725-acre farm in Dorchester County that is critical habitat for the Delmarva Fox Squirrel, a species listed as federally endangered. More than $2.5 million dollars were paid to local farmers and landowners to preserve forever more than 1,245 acres of farmland and forest on the mid- and Upper shore. ESLC has been preserving farmland, forest and open

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July 19, 2012

Lynch Preserve Now Open to Public

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s (ESLC) Lynch Preserve trails are open to the public and ready to use, thanks to the work of 20 Chesapeake Conservation Corps Members and staff members from ESLC, who gathered Wednesday, July 18, for a work day at the Lynch Preserve. ESLC won $1,500 from “All Hands on Deck,” a contest run by Chesapeake Bay Trust, for the materials. The day was a great success, and the Conservancy is thankful for the funding that was provided by the Chesapeake Bay Trust and educational materials from the Chestory Virtual Archive and associated Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteers. Also, the Baltimore Tool Bank was an excellent resource for the project, as ESLC was able to rent the necessary tools at three percent of the retail cost. Wayne Gilchrest, former U.S. Congressman and current ESLC Program Director for the Sassafras Environmental Education Center at Turner’s Creek, Kent County, kicked off the day with an inspiring talk. “Never forget why you are doing the work you do,” he told the Chesapeake Conservation Corps volunteers, who engage in environmental education and restoration work during their one-year terms. Volunteers then worked in groups to clear trails, build a kiosk, and install benches and trail signage. The Lynch Preserve is a 206-acre natural area donated to the Conservancy in 1999 by Mary Lynch in loving memory of her husband Jim Lynch Sr. The Preserve contains three trails that wind through a forested canopy along the Choptank River and Robins Creek. ESLC invites the public to visit the Lynch Preserve. Limited parking is available where the trails begin, at the end of Robins Creek Road, Preston. Since its inception in 1990, ESLC has helped landowners to protect more than 53,000 acres of farmland and important habitat on 283 Eastern Shore properties.

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July 15, 2012

ESLC Hopes to Establish Eastern Shore Conservation Center

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy will host a public meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 25, at the Talbot County Historical Society Auditorium in Easton, to discuss plans to purchase the McCord Building on Washington Street. In the coming year ESLC hopes to transform this vacant Easton warehouse into a charismatic green building that brings new vitality to both the neighborhood and the town. Called the Eastern Shore Conservation Center, this facility will create a working home for our employees and for other organizations and businesses. This hub of activity will spark collaboration and innovation around conservation at a new scale for the Eastern Shore. At the meeting, staff members will give an introduction to Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and a description of the McCord Building site, and will ask community members to express what they would like to see on the site. The Conservancy also invites the public to attend an Open House from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, July 26, at the McCord Building.

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June 19, 2012

McKnight on the Fourth Economy

In his keynote address, Stephen McKnight, Vice President of Community and Market Assessments for Fourth Economy Consulting advised Annual Planning Conference participants to consider the nature of our evolving economy in planning growth for Eastern Shore communities. National issues that determine local economic development include global financial uncertainty, political divides, federal transportation funding and revenue generation, including taxes, incentives, and global competition. Fourth Economy Consulting examines historical economic development to determine characteristics of a successful economic development model today. The first three economies in the United States were agricultural, manufacturing, and technology. Today’s economy has the following characteristics: • Constant innovation • Collaborative approaches • Enabled and accelerated by the rise of social media • Smaller size of companies • Grow by being buying companies or being bought by other companies • Corporate image is important • Place based, happening in both urban and rural settings Trends that impact the fourth economy: • Technology: accelerating change; shifts in occupations, products and workplace environment; leveling locational advantages • Energy: rising prices leading to rethinking lifestyles, and the housing blimp is refocusing priorities on real cost of housing • Commurbanism (community urbanism): people again prefer to know their neighbors, people want amenities without traffic congestion or other undesirables, desire to give back, organize through social media. Places that have a high ranking on the fourth economy index, like Clarke, Georgia and Woods, Ohio, have a university and are leveraging that opportunity by retain graduates with a diversified economy. They have quality K-12 education, blend rural with urban amenities through town centers and recreation, provide quality, reasonably priced options for housing, and are driven by educational and medical institutions. There are working relationships with the local college/university, partnerships with banks and VCs to offer small business credit and loans, and offer high value business support initiatives.

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June 8, 2012

Change is inevitable, progress a choice

“Change is inevitable, but progress is a choice.” This is a small selection of the words of wisdom that Ed McMahon imparted on the audience during his keynote address. As the world pushes forward through the 21st century, the pace at which technology and the economy change seems to accelerate at an exponential rate. However, society must be conscious that the actions made today have great implications in the future. The jobs we create and the communities we develop are all interconnected. Just as important as the quantity of jobs created is the quality of jobs created. What kinds of jobs do we hope our children will have? How do we preserve the quality of life for the future generation while nurturing economic growth? These are questions that residents of rural areas and small towns must ask themselves when they plan for the future. Keep in mind that progress does not need to be sacrificed for the sake of conservation. The environment often can be a boon for job growth. Parks and trails increase traffic in local businesses. They also can provide a source of ecotourism. The Eastern Shore with its vast expanses of agricultural and natural lands has assets that many other regions lack. It is important to consider these amenities when deciding the next steps.

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June 8, 2012

Good morning, rural Maryland

The Tidewater Inn’s Crystal Room at 6 a.m. is stark contrast to the expected bustle of activity three hours later. As the sun barely peeks above the horizon and filters through the windows, a room full of empty chairs and a sole podium sit in quiet anticipation of the arriving day. At 9 a.m. the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy’s thirteenth Annual Planning Conference kicks off. This year, the theme and title of the conference is “Rural Jobs Summit: Vibrant Towns + Working Landscapes.” Today a collection of elected officials, organization heads, local business representatives, community planners, and others will meet to discuss the economic future of Maryland’s Eastern Shore. A number of notable speakers will be in attendance, including Deputy Secretary Dominick Murray of Maryland’s Department of Business and Economic Development, Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown, Ed McMahon of the Urban Land Institute, and Stephen McKnight of Fourth Economy Consulting. From this conference, attendees hope to develop an image of the Eastern Shore that they would like to come to fruition. Even in the face of national economic stagnation, the region has an optimistic outlook. Outside, the sun continues to rise higher in the sky spraying rays of light onto the ground below, unhindered by clouds. It looks to be another beautiful June day, undoubtedly a fortuitous sign of the future of the Eastern Shore.

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May 24, 2012

Transportation: Take the Long View (Commentary)

The following commentary was printed May 24, 2012 in The Baltimore Sun and at CenterMaryland.org: The quiet, staggering problem at the center of last Session’s gasoline tax debate was this: Maryland does not have the money to maintain our transportation system. In the fervor, it was easy to miss the reason for the debate. The crisis began when we consumers, in response to the recession, turned to cars with better gas mileage, to car pooling, to transit – any means to decrease our own pain at the pump. The transportation trust fund, already weakened from regular budget raiding, was further diminished as the main funding stream - the per-gallon tax - dwindled. This transportation funding crisis hamstrings not only rural regions like my Eastern Shore that are deeply dependent on our roads and bridges, but is a limiting factor for the future vibrancy of our urban areas. Hectic, long commutes, safety concerns, and poor alternatives thwart healthy growth in cities. A number of fixes for short-term relief have been debated unsuccessfully. But, we left off the table some important, long-term solutions that do more than kick the can down the road. The long-view is needed now. Whether we are talking about new or existing funding, tight, fiscally-prudent criteria on transportation spending are needed. Criteria should focus our investments to those needs most pressing and those that serve the most people. For example, investment in Shore Transit and Maryland Upper Shore Transit is sorely needed today to serve those unable to drive, and tomorrow as an opportunity for the broader population. For our communities, investment in walkability and bike-ability is essential to minimize traffic and for our health. To fix the longest term culprit for transportation funding, we need smarter, more sustainable land use planning. Consider this: The Maryland Department of Planning tells us that in the

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April 24, 2012

ESLC Statement on Sine Die

ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland General Assembly’s 90-day Legislative Session came to a close Monday night with a fair amount of cheers and groans by conservationists, as multiple environmental and land use bills passed and many important questions remained unanswered. Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) was pleased to see a number of its legislative priorities pass during the topsy-turvy 2012 session. Multiple bills were proposed that could have a significant effect on agricultural land use, including an important first step to curb rural sprawl in the Sustainable Growth and Agricultural Preservation Act of 2012 (SB 236). This bill helps to classify where septic systems can be built, as a mechanism to help stabilize the proliferation of septic systems. Another important win was the passing of the Family Farm Preservation Act of 2012 (SB 294). Often the most vulnerable time for a family farm is when it shifts between generations. This bill will make it easier for most agricultural land to be passed down to a relative, without the added burden of an estate tax, as long as the land will stay in agricultural production. “Overall, this session was a success for those who care about preserving agricultural land and the character of places like the Eastern Shore,” said ESLC Deputy Director Amy Owsley. “ESLC had a much greater presence at the state level this year, including presenting in front of the Eastern Shore Delegation, helping sponsor the ‘Taste of the Eastern Shore’ Legislative Night, and personally visiting more than 60 offices of elected officials.” In the pursuit of cleaner water and a cleaner environment, several environmental bills passed, including an increase in the Bay Restoration Fund (SB 240) that will help pay for wastewater treatment plant upgrades. The Stormwater Management Watershed Protection and Restoration Program (HB 987) bill required the state’s largest jurisdictions to develop a

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April 13, 2012

ESLC Announces 13th Annual Planning Conference

The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy announces our 13th Annual Planning Conference, to be hosted Friday, June 8, 2012, at the Tidewater Inn in Easton, Maryland. The conference will draw together community leaders, elected officials, planners, designers, entrepreneurs and farmers from around the region to discuss and envision the economic landscape of the Eastern Shore, Delmarva and rural areas throughout the region. Conference attendees will engage in workshops with their peers and colleagues to learn more about diversification and shifts in the agricultural economy; methods for anchoring towns in working landscapes; and the legislative and regional policy tools needed to enable the economic future that is possible for the region. Attendees will work together to articulate an agenda for sustainable prosperity for the Eastern Shore. Please register today. View the full agenda, speaker biographies, venue details and other resources.

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March 14, 2012

Eastern Shore Peeps! Show some style!

ESLC is hosting a Peeps design contest. Show us your Eastern Shore Peeps! To enter: 1. Create a diorama depicting marshmallow Peeps arranged in the theme of your choice. For example, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy might create a diorama with the theme, “ESLC – Peep it Rural!” 2. Take a photo of your diorama and email it by Monday, April 2, to spearce@eslc.org. All entries will be judged that week, and the winner will receive a basket of Eastern Shore treats! Runners-up will receive certificates, and their dioramas will be featured on our website. The contest is open to any theme, but local themes will be given extra points. (Think – towns, local businesses, pastimes, agriculture, fishing, crabbing, hunting, boating, trapping, hanging out in a big truck on a Saturday night … show us how your Eastern Shore Peeps hang!) Any entry could be featured on Facebook, Pinterest, or other social media site! Rules: Anyone of any age can enter. Have fun! Be creative! Please submit it by Monday, April 2, and cross your fingers!

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BLOG

ESLC Celebrates Land Conservation Successes

Lynch Preserve Now Open to Public

ESLC Hopes to Establish Eastern Shore Conservation Center

McKnight on the Fourth Economy

Change is inevitable, progress a choice

Good morning, rural Maryland

Transportation: Take the Long View (Commentary)

ESLC Statement on Sine Die

ESLC Announces 13th Annual Planning Conference

Eastern Shore Peeps! Show some style!

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