State Approves Rural Legacy Funding To Protect 56-Acre Keeton Property In St. Mary’s County

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A 56.7-acre stretch of forest and farmland along McKay’s Cove in St. Mary’s County will be permanently protected following approval this week of more than $405,000 in state Rural Legacy Program funds.

On Jan. 7, the Maryland Board of Public Works approved the funding without discussion, granting $405,305.50 to the Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development Board Inc. to acquire a conservation easement on the Keeton property, located within the Mattapany Rural Legacy Area, stated in the agenda on page 42.

The easement will safeguard valuable agricultural and forested land while preserving approximately 2,800 linear feet of shoreline and vegetative buffers along McKay’s Cove, a tributary to the Potomac River. The property will be co-held by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Southern Maryland RC&D Board.

According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Mattapany Rural Legacy Area, located in the southern portion of St. Mary’s County, protects rich farmland, forests, wetlands, historic sites and wildlife habitat. Conservation within the area provides water quality benefits to the Chesapeake Bay and the St. Mary’s River watershed, which has been described by the Smithsonian as the most beautiful and pristine estuary on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay. Protection of property in this area also provides an open space buffer to the military installation, Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

The total easement value and purchase price are both listed at $488,300.40, or $8,612 per acre. Funding for the project includes $366,225.30 from DNR and a 25% local match from St. Mary’s County totaling $122,075.10.

The project builds on previous state investments in the Mattapany Rural Legacy Area. Prior approvals include $1.45 million in fiscal year 2021 and $570,201 in fiscal year 2022 for easement acquisitions in the area.

Additional costs associated with the project total $39,080.20, covering administrative, incidental and compliance expenses.

The funding originates from the Outdoor Recreation Land Loan of 2024, authorized under Chapter 101 of the Acts of 2023, and is administered through the Rural Legacy Program.

By placing the Keeton property under permanent conservation, state and local officials aim to protect working lands, preserve sensitive shoreline habitat and maintain the rural character of southern St. Mary’s County for future generations.

Mattapany Rural Legacy Area History

The Mattapany Rural Legacy Area was first designated in 2006 when the state awarded more than $1.5 million in Rural Legacy funding for land preservation efforts in St. Mary’s County. In 2016, Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) assumed main sponsorship for the initial expansion, taking advantage of federal funding opportunities and facilitating a partnership between the Navy, MD DNR and St. Mary’s County that still exists today.

You can learn more about the Mattapany Rural Legacy Area here.

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