Preservation Maryland extends its sincere gratitude to members of the Maryland General Assembly for their support and passage of two critical pieces of legislation this session: SB980 – Maryland Heritage Area Authority Funding and HB717 – Public Lands: Acquisition, Staffing, Operations, and Funding.
SB980 represents a historic opportunity for Maryland’s heritage tourism and preservation community. By authorizing up to $12 million annually for the Maryland Heritage Areas program—doubling previous funding levels—this bill sets the stage for transformational impact, should the governor include the appropriation in future budgets. The legislation also increases grant sizes for both operational and project funding and raises the percentage of total project costs grants can cover, allowing local heritage areas across the state to grow, thrive, and serve their communities more effectively.
In addition, we celebrate the passage of HB717, which gives the state greater flexibility in managing public lands. This forward-thinking legislation allows more strategic use of state and local land acquisition funds, enables the creation of private philanthropic partnerships to support public lands and their historic resources, and ensures better workforce planning to manage lands responsibly. Given our collaboration with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, this success is a major milestone for our shared mission.
Together, these legislative victories are wins for preservation, for Maryland’s cultural and natural heritage, and for future generations. We are deeply grateful for the leadership and commitment of legislators who championed these efforts, particularly Senator Paul Corderman, Senator Michael Jackson, Delegate Marc Korman, Delegate Regina T. Boyce, Senator Brian J. Feldman, and Senator Cheryl C. Kagan
We look forward to the positive impact these measures will have across the state for years to come.