ESLC Announces Last Easement of 2022: Talbot County Farmland and Woodlands
Andy and Brittanie Collier are presented with their "Preserved Forever" sign at the settlement of their conservation easement
Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC) is excited to announce the closing on a conservation easement with the Collier family in Talbot County. In 2017, Andy and Brittanie Collier worked with the Maryland Agricultural Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation (MARBIDCO) to purchase their farm outside of Trappe through the Next Generation Farmland Acquisition Program. This program helps young farmers obtain farmland and ensures that the land stays farmland forever through perpetual easement programs. Early on in this process, the Colliers selected ESLC as a potential easement holder; ultimately, ESLC was able to collaborate with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide a permanent conservation easement option for the Collier farm through the Rural Legacy Program.
The easement on Andy and Brittanie Collier’s 123-acre farm protects 84 acres of productive agricultural ground, 60 acres of which is considered prime farmland. In addition, the easement protects 35 acres of woodlands that support Forest Interior Dwelling Species of birds (FIDS), a declining species group that includes many woodpeckers and thrushes. As an added benefit, the conservation easement will remove six development rights from the property, providing additional security to the agricultural and natural land use of the property. ESLC staff applaud the Colliers for their dedication to farming and vision for long-term protection. We look forward to working with them to steward their beautiful property in perpetuity.
ESLC would like to thank both MARBIDCO and DNR, whose financial and technical support were key to making this happen for the Colliers. To learn more about these programs, including whether you might be eligible, please reach out to ESLC’s Conservation Specialist, Larisa Prezioso at lprezioso@eslc.org or visit the programs’ respective websites.