Governor Ehrlich announces BPW approval of Program Open Space acquisition
ANNAPOLIS — Governor Robert L. Ehrlich today announced Board of Public Works approval for $1,048,000 in Program Open Space funds to preserve eight acres of land in Gaithersburg adjacent to the Agricultural History Farm Park.
“Farming has long been a part of the fabric that makes up Maryland’s culture and this acquisition will help to preserve this tradition for years to come,” Governor Ehrlich said.This acquisition is vital to protecting the scenic views from the Agricultural History Farm Park out to the adjacent community known as Brookfield. If homes were built on this land, they would be highly visible from the Farm Park and interfere with the mission of this park, which is to interpret, re-create and preserve the farming legacy of Montgomery County. In addition, the acquisition will also provide convenient non-motorized trail access into the Farm Park from the communities on the west.
DNR's Program Open Space is a nationally recognized program that provides funding for Maryland's state and local parks and conservation areas. More than 4,400 county and municipal parks and conservation areas have been established with financial assistance from the program, improving the quality of life for millions of Marylanders on a year-round basis.
The three-member Board of Public Works is comprised of Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr., Comptroller William Donald Schaefer, and Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp. The Board of Public Works meets semi-monthly and exercises the powers and duties prescribed in the Constitution or delegated to it by the General Assembly. The Board must approve expenditures of all sums appropriated through State loans authorized by the General Assembly. The Board also approves the expenditures of all General Funds and other funds appropriated for capital improvements, except those allotted for State roads, bridges, and highways.
Posted March 10, 2004