ESLC conserves 126 acres at Dorsey Farm in Talbot County
Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) has permanently conserved 126 acres at Dorsey Farm in Talbot County. Generously donated by Donna and Len Bush, the farm’s perpetual conservation easement with ESLC will forever protect 74 acres of farmland, multiple impoundments, 16 acres of woodlands, and 19 acres of grasslands. “From the donation of the easement itself to living shoreline restoration, responsible forestry, and wildlife habitat management, Dorsey Farm’s conservation is a testament to the Bush family’s dynamic partnership with ESLC and to what they’ve described as their ‘ever-evolving lifetime project’ of stewardship,” commented ESLC President & CEO Steve Kline.
Dorsey Farm’s conservation easement yields a significant benefit to the public, not only by preserving the scenery that defines the Eastern Shore’s unique landscape, but also by ensuring our community’s clean water, clear air, dark skies, biodiversity, and climate resiliency. “The natural resources we enjoy on the Eastern Shore should not be taken for granted,” commented Donna and Len. “Preservation of this gift is critical to the enjoyment for future generations. Further development of our shorelines reduces our quality of life and degrades the health and natural beauty of our waters.” The property’s 6,823 linear feet of water frontage on Leeds Creek (a tributary of the Miles River) will forever protect the rural character and scenic view of that waterway for those traveling and working on it. Fifty-foot naturally vegetated buffer strips, all within Chesapeake Bay Critical Area, and a living shoreline restoration that is already in-process, will maintain and improve Leeds Creek water quality far into the future.
In addition to safeguarding prime soils for active grain operations, the property harbors waterfowl and Delmarva fox squirrel, with vanishing species and rare habitats that exhibit high levels of biodiversity according to Maryland DNR. Meadows managed for wildlife like those on Dorsey Farm, are increasingly rare on the Eastern Shore and are critically important for declining bird species including bobwhite quail. These environments harbor hundreds of beneficial insect species that help local farms by eliminating pests and improving crop pollination, a benefit to both Dorsey Farm and to their Tunis Mills neighbors.
The Bush family looks forward to hosting ESLC’s annual Party to Preserve on their newly conserved property this October, a favorite time of year for them as “the midnight sounds of roosting wintering geese honk throughout the creek and the sun sets orange and red through the pines.” There are “just too many special places on the property to list, as the little things are what holds the beauty,” Donna and Len reflected. “In time, the farm will hold the family cemetery. Keeps us at our most wonderful place on earth while keeping an eye on ESLC’s stewardship.” Replied ESLC Easement Stewardship Manager Michael Ports: “We are proud to keep our end of that arrangement.”
