The vast majority of this funding must be used to protect land from development, though limited funding is available for the maintenance of park and recreation facilities (The backlog on state park facility maintenance is over $25 million.)
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Stateside
The Stateside of POS acquires parklands, forests, wildlife habitat, natural, scenic and cultural resources for public use. Under the leadership of Governor Martin O’Malley, the process of land acquisition has become more strategic through the development of a Targeting System. The Department of Natural Resources now sets priorities for conservation lands through a transparent process, based on scientific data, management priorities, and public need,
will maximize the returns on POS funded projects. Additionally, a small portion of State POS funds will still be used to acquire high priority recreational, cultural, and historic sites, providing key Chesapeake Bay access points, trails connections, and state park in-holdings.
POS Stateside has protected over 313,168 acres.
POS Stateside includes the following programs:
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources Land Acquisitions
- Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation
- Rural Legacy
- Maryland Environmental Trust
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Localside
Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission
Counties receive a portion of the transfer tax revenue for their local land acquisition and park development needs. The State also often partners with the counties to jointly fund the acquisition of local parks. In addition, state acquisitions for state parks, state forests, and wildlife management areas add to recreational opportunities within the counties were they are located. To date over 5,000 local grants projects have either acquired land or built facilities for Maryland’s’ conservation and recreation needs.
POS Localside has protected over 45,000 acres.
Learn more about Program Open Space from Maryland Department of Natural Resources.