Protecting Program Open Space

Register To Attend

REGISTRATION: FREE
Monday January 22, 2024
2:00PM – 3:00PM
Zoom Webinar

Program Open Space (POS) is a state program, passed in 1969, that provides funding for land protection and park development including the Maryland Agriculture Land Protection Foundation, Rural Legacy Program, DNR staff, and other county and stateside projects.

Historically, funds from the program were repurposed to the state general fund. But thanks to the work of groups like Partners for Open Space, in 2016 the program was fully funded, and since then, Partners have advocated for full cash funding and implementation of the program.

Partners for Open Space (Partners) seeks to remain the non-partisan statewide proponent for land conservation and its many benefits for the environment, equity, resource-based economies, and community resilience. Our efforts moving forward will focus on:

Preserving full cash funding of dedicated State land conservation funds.
Increasing the pace of land preservation to meet the 30×30 and 40×40 goals.
Ensuring that recently passed legislation to include the Greenspace Equity Act, Maryland the Beautiful Act, and the Great Maryland Outdoors Act are fully funded and implemented.

This webinar will cover the history of POS, the various programs it funds, and the role POS will play in helping Maryland achieve its goals as laid out in the Maryland the Beautiful Act (2023). A zoom link will be sent via email after your registration.

Speakers for the event include:

Owen Bailey (co-chair of Partners for Open Space and Director of Land Use and Policy with ESLC)
Charlotte Davis (co-chair of Partners for Open Space and Executive Director of Rural Maryland Council)
Jessica Leys (Director of Parks and Recreation for Anne Arundel County)
Joel Dunn (co-vice chair of Partners for Open Space and President and CEO of Chesapeake Conservancy)
Ann Jones (Director of Baltimore County Land Trust Alliance)

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