Eastern Shore Land Conservancy

Home

Land Conservation

Land Use & Policy

Ways to Give

Events

News / Blog

Shop

Staff

Board of Directors

Careers

Contact

Give

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

ExcellenceITAC Accreditation
eastern shore maryland farmland conservation

ESLC

Party to Preserve!

Register now for the Turnout on the Tuckahoe! Owners John and Karen Jaeger lovingly restored Daffin House, the oldest home in Caroline County, to its original character. This farm was preserved forever in 2002 with a conservation easement held by ESLC. The post-and-beam barn is the heart of the farm and our party. Warm yourself by the stone fireplace, enjoy the bluegrass band, and bid on fabulous auction items. Tour the house and stroll the grounds to fully appreciate the importance of this historic property’s preservation.

Read More


Workforce Housing Goes Up in St. Michaels

Photo courtesy of Grimm + Parker Architects Affordable housing in our region is a challenging issue. In this blog article, we offer the story of one of our towns trying to address it. The Riverwoods at St. Michaels, a workforce housing development, will be completed in May. The development is slated to provide needed accommodation for some of the workforce population in our region. Given the town’s appeal to tourists and its plethora of high-value properties, affordable housing previously has been minimal. With the introduction of the Riverwoods development, the town hopes more workers will live downtown. Housing prices and rental rates throughout the country have risen in the past decade, making it a challenge for lower-wage workers to live close to their area of employment or to afford owning a home.[1] An increased distance between workers and work has a negative effect on the community. According to a report produced by the Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) and the Center for Workforce Preparation (CWP), reducing workers’ commuting times contributes to their efficiency and productivity at work.[3] It also poses a critical question: “Are high housing costs undermining the type of competitive business environment that is essential to strong, vibrant communities? Should the increasing cost of housing therefore be added to the list of traditional business concerns?”[4] In recent years, housing prices have risen faster than most incomes, making it difficult for workers to reconcile their cost of living with their distance/commute from work.[5] According to the JCHS and CWP report, “In Houston, Texas … the median price of a for-sale home in 2003 was $137,000, beyond the reach of elementary school teachers, nurses, retail salespersons, and janitors.” Employers also struggle when their employees live far from work. Aaron Nelson of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce commented on the drain this had on his town: “‘We

Read More


April Fools!

April Fools! We have sent our email subscribers here, to our blog. Not the trickiest trick, we know. We just want to show off our new website. Take a look around. Check our our events calendar, recent blog posts, our preserves. We're awfully proud of our beautiful home, the Eastern Shore, and we want to share its beauty with the world. If you'd like to sign up for our newsletters, click here.

Read More


Food for Thought: Big Box Design

Buzz around Easton about the potential Harris Teeter development has us thinking about interesting ways supermarkets and other large retailers build stores with the community and the environment in mind. The U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program is a great place to start for a new construction retail store. The LEED Retail program focuses on exterior elements (such as stormwater management and modes of transportation) and interior elements (such as energy management systems, indoor air quality, and materials reuse). Harris Teeter already has multiple LEED-certified store, including a few in Maryland. Read more about for the specific case studies in Baltimore and Olney. There are opportunities to help superstores contribute more to the community. Prioritizing walkability and connectivity is an important factor for many small towns. Some stores choose to do this by locating parking lots behind stores. Examples of this type of design in Easton include the Tidewater Inn, the former McCord building (soon to be the Eastern Shore Conservation Center), and the town office on South Harrison St. Without a giant expanse of parking space, pedestrians can more easily access shops and services. Sharing parking with nearby retailers also requires less paving, saving money and opening up space for public green space. Instead of orienting a development toward cars, many retailers choose to make people the focus. Sidewalks can replace roadways for cars. Check out Denver’s approach and Davidson, North Carolina’s layout (below) for creating these types of developments and demonstrating how living streets are important for future commercial areas. Photo courtesy of Little Consulting Conserving some of this land would leave more open space, which is not only aesthetically pleasing but great for the environment! Reduced impervious surface cover (e.g., roads and parking lots) means less stormwater runoff after a big rain and less pollution in the

Read More



Recent Posts

  • Sponsorship Spotlight: PRS Guitars
  • Cloudy with a Chance of Carbon Emissions
  • Roots Monthly Giving Spotlight: Amanda Thornley
  • Big Changes on the Horizon for the CREP Easement Program
  • Trails Get a Boost Across the Shore
  • Seven Legislative Efforts That Could Impact Eastern Shore Land Use and Preservation
  • Land Protection for All
  • Board Spotlight: Jules Hendrix
  • New Regional Trail Map Shows Existing and Potential Trails for a Growing Network
  • Saving Maryland’s Tidal Salt Marshes
  • From the President: The Eastern Shore’s Most Urgent Conservation Need in 2024
  • Review: ESLC Forests and Forestry Workshop
  • Volunteer Spotlight: Roger Bollman
  • Where the Wood Drake Rests: Wetland Restoration & Conservation on the Eastern Shore
  • ESLC Partners with Urban 3 to Study Eastern Shore Land Use