Funding for Maryland’s Program Open Space Diverted
For more than 35 years, Maryland’s Program Open Space has been a national model for states trying to preserve natural areas. Funded mainly by a real estate transfer tax, this program has protected hundreds of thousands of acres of parkland, farmland, and other green space.
It has been a critical tool in the state’s efforts to protect 20 percent of the land in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed by 2010 -- as required by the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement. Unfortunately, for three straight years the money was partially diverted to other activities.
The Maryland Environmental Trust, 1000 Friends of Maryland, and other partners in our coalition have been fighting to prevent such diversions, and this spring the state legislature voted to commit all $361 million generated last year by the transfer tax to land conservation. We need to remain vigilant to prevent future raids on this vital line of defense against sprawling development.
For More Information
- Fran Hunt, Director, Mid-Atlantic Region, The Wilderness Society, 202-833-2300
