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| Commission President Tommy McKay announces a new Legacy grant at the Sivak farm Thursday. At left are commissioners Larry Jarboe, Dan Raley, farm owner John Sivak, and commissioner Tom Mattingly. – The Bay Net photo by Sean Rice |
St. Mary’s Board of Commissioners gathered Thursday at the Sivak Farm off Poplar Ridge Roadin Lexington Park to announce the state has approved a $1.5 million Rural Legacy Grant for a land tract south of the Patuxent Naval Air Station.
Commission President Tommy McKay also announced the board will be taking up a consideration to add $1 million in county funds to the pool of money now available.
Also, the existing Huntersville Rural Legacy Area at the north end of the county received another $300,000 from the state.
The new Mattapany Rural Legacy Area includes a large stretch of land along the Chesapeake Bay that extends from the south end of the Pax Base to the Dameron area.
The program allows land owners to voluntarily sell easements on large acreages of rural land or farmland, in turn protecting the land from ever being further developed.
“This funding is critical in preserving thousands of acres of land along the Chesapeake Bay,” said McKay, adding the new designation also protects the Pax base from encroaching developments. “The county intends to preserve the environmental integrity of our farms, woodlands and rivers as well as the Chesapeake Bay.”
Commissioners said the announcement was the result of hard work by Donna Sasscer, of the county economic development department, and due to a meeting McKay and Commissioner Tommy Mattingly had with state officials last year to push the need for further rural protection in the south end of the county.
Governor Bob Ehrlich awarded the funding on Jan. 24 during a ceremony at a Rural Legacy Area in Baltimore County.