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Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Governor O’Malley Announces BPW Approval Of $7 Million In Program Open Space Funding
More Than $1 Million Approved for Land Acquisition in Washington County
ANNAPOLIS — Governor Martin O’Malley today announced the Board of Public Works (BPW) approval of more than $7 million in Program Open Space (POS) funds for state and local projects.

At an April 18 meeting, The Board of Public Works approved $1,005,677 for Washington County’s acquisition of the 155.52-acre Woodley Farms property. This conservation easement, located on the Potomac River in the Mid-Maryland Washington Rural Legacy Area, preserves land around Antietam Battlefield and its approaches. It also preserves valuable agricultural and forested land as well as cultural resources, and will further protect the area’s water resources through required buffering of seasonal streams.

Also approved was the State’s $208,000 purchase of the 19.84-acre Robbins Tract in Dorchester County. The site was simultaneously swapped for the 17.3-acre Linthicum tract, a nearby property owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). USFWS will use the Robbins tract as an outdoor education and outreach programming space.

The newly acquired state tract is the planned site of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Discovery Center. The Center, which is being planned by the Maryland Departments of Natural Resources and Business and Economic Development, will be developed in cooperation with Dorchester County and members of the community that have long sought an appropriate memorial to Tubman within the county.

The Linthicum tract was selected for its proximity to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and two locations where Harriet Tubman is believed to have lived. The project allows for the story of Tubman to be interpreted and told within a pristine and preserved landscape that looks much as it did when she lived in the area, and allows visitors to experience the Blackwater woodlands and swamps that Tubman navigated while helping move slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad system.

Local Program Open Space funding was approved as follows:

Chaired by Governor O’Malley, the Board of Public Works is also comprised of Comptroller Peter Franchot and Treasurer Nancy Kopp. The Board is authorized by the General Assembly to approve major construction and consultant contracts, equipment purchases, property transactions and other procurement actions.
Since 1969, Program Open Space has provided funding for acquisition of nearly 292,000 acres for open space and recreation areas. Most Maryland residents live within 15 minutes of an open space or recreational area funded by this program.

April 19, 2007

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov