Governor Ehrlich Announces BPW Approval of $586,811 in Program Open Space Funds for Baltimore County
Funds will expand Oregon Ridge Park and protect the Oregon Branch watershed
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Emphasizing his firm support for park and conservation projects, Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. today announced Board of Public Works approval of $586,811 for parkland near Hunt Valley in Baltimore County. The funds are committed to the county through Program Open Space, which is administered by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
“Oregon Ridge is an extremely popular park in the midst of the rolling hills of horse country,” said Governor Ehrlich. “I am pleased to support this project, which will expand recreational opportunities while protecting streams that feed Loch Raven Reservoir.”
The Board approved $586,811 to acquire 61 acres to expand Oregon Ridge Park, the largest park owned by Baltimore County. This acquisition, known as the Whedbee property, will extend this heavily used park to Falls Road and will make possible a future expansion of the network of nature trails that begin at the Oregon Ridge Nature Center and traverse much of the park’s 1,040 acres. These additional acres, which are almost entirely wooded, will guarantee the protection of steeply sloped hillsides and watershed lands of Baisman Run, a sizeable tributary of Oregon Branch, which flows into the Loch Raven Reservoir.
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 4,600 county and municipal park and conservation projects have been completed through the program, improving the quality of life for millions of Marylanders.