Land Preservation, Parks and Recreation Plans, known as LPPRPs, are the foundational planning documents that every Maryland county prepares to understand how well its parks, trails, recreation facilities, natural areas and preserved lands are serving the public. These plans gather information on how people use local parks, what amenities are available, which communities lack access to recreation, and where important natural and agricultural lands remain. LPPRPs are required every five years under state law, and they qualify counties for Program Open Space funding, the primary state source of grants for local park improvements, land acquisition, and outdoor recreation projects.
Because these plans guide investments that shape communities for decades, it is essential that counties hear directly from the people who use the parks, walk the trails, farm the land, enjoy the water, and care deeply about the future of their hometowns. Public input helps counties understand local priorities, identify gaps in facilities, and ensure that new investments reach both well-served and underserved communities. It also provides a clearer picture of how preserved land, working farms, and natural areas support recreation, public health, and community resilience.
For the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, the LPPRP process is especially important. These plans shape how counties balance outdoor recreation, farmland protection, and natural resource conservation, all of which are central to the long term health of our unique rural landscapes and for our communities. LPPRPs influence where new parks may be created, where land should be protected for its ecological or agricultural value, and how outdoor recreation can support the vitality of towns across the Shore. They also feed into the statewide plan that allows Maryland to remain eligible for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a national source of funding that has preserved treasured places throughout our region.
For all these reasons, broad public participation strengthens the plans and helps ensure that each county’s vision reflects the lived experience, hopes, and concerns of its residents. By adding your voice to the surveys and focus groups, you help guide investments that will shape the Eastern Shore for generations.
To gather essential community input from local residents, Caroline County based consultancy Shores Strategies, LLC is running LPPRP surveys for five Midshore counties: Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot. You can find links to these surveys below. Input from community members already involved in and aware of conservation efforts will greatly improve the LPPRPs. If you haven’t already, please complete your local survey.
Caroline County: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LPPRPCarolineESLC
Dorchester County: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LPPRPDorchesterESLC
Kent County: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LPPRPKentESLC
Queen Anne’s County: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LPPRPQAsESLC
Talbot County: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ESLC2027LPPRPTalbot
In addition to these surveys, four of the five counties are also running hour-long focus groups in March and April. Scheduling for these focus groups is ongoing but you can find the dates, times and locations of confirmed events below. For virtual focus groups, “space” is limited to 20 participants; email ben@shorestrategiesllc.com to register (first 20 RSVPs for each virtual session will receive the zoom link).
Scheduled Focus Groups:
Caroline–Federalsburg Library, 118 Morris Ave. 3/31/2026 6:00 PM
–Fretterd Community Center, 107 S. 4th St. 4/7/2026 6:00 PM
–Greensboro Community Center, 101 Cedar Lane, 4/9/2026 6:00 PM
–Virtual, 4/14/2026 6:00 PM
Dorchester–TBD
Kent–Betterton Town Hall, 100 Main St. 3/23/2026 6:00 PM
–Rock Hall Elementary School, 20203 W. Sharp Rd. 3/24/2026 5:30 PM
–Kent County Middle School, 402 E. Campus Ave. 3/25/2026 5:00 PM
–Galena Town Hall, 101 C. Main St. 3/26/2026 5:30 PM
Talbot–St Michaels Community Center, 103 Railroad Ave, St. Michaels 3/9/2026 6:00 PM
–Talbot Community Center, 10028 Ocean Gateway, Easton 3/10/2026 6:00 PM
–Cordova Fire House, 11864 Kittys Corner Rd., Cordova 3/11/2026 6:00 PM
–Special Users: Ice Virtual 3/12/2026 6:00 PM
–Special Users: Bike/Cycle Virtual 3/12/2026 7:00 PM
–Special Users: Fields Virtual 4/1/2026 6:00 PM
–Special Users: Gym Virtual 4/1/2026 7:00 PM