Preservation Maryland’s Executive Director, Nicholas Redding, was elected to chair the Partners for Open Space, a statewide coalition of over 100 groups seeking to secure, save and protect Maryland’s land conservation programs.
Preservation Maryland has served as a member of the executive committee of advocacy coalition since late 2014. While Maryland’s Program Open Space is most often associated with the preservation of agricultural and natural landscapes, the program has also invested millions of dollars in protecting cultural landscapes, historic buildings and provides dedicated funding for the state’s twelve heritage areas.
In 1969, the Maryland General Assembly created Program Open Space through the institution of a transfer tax of 0.5 percent on every real estate transaction in the state. Since then the program has been responsible for preserving over 865,000 acres. These lands were protected through a variety of different programs, including:
- 319,000 acres through Stateside Program Open Space
- 45,457 acres through Localside Program Open Space
- 79,000 acres through the Rural Legacy Program
- 292,000 acres through the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Fund
- 130,000 acres through the Maryland Environmental Trust
Redding explained that, “This is a natural fit for Preservation Maryland and a fantastic opportunity to connect the heritage preservation community with the robust land preservation community. Program Open Space matters to a diverse array of Marylanders and I look forward to continuing to advocate for this critical piece of state funding.”