MET has benefited from having a talented anddedicated board of trustees—citizens who have

donated their time, financial support and expertise to METand have helped to create a strong state wide land trustwith a solid record of success. One of those trustees isKing Burnett, who recently stepped down as MET’s leaderand chairman.

King, a resident ofWicomico County,has served on theboard of MET since1971 and has twiceserved as chairman.His current termended on May 31,2010. rough hisleadership, MET hasbecome one of the

largest land trusts in the nation in terms of the number ofeasements it holds. King’s research and direction resulted inMET establishing its conservation easement program in 1972,at a time when land conservation was in its infancy. Overthe last 38 years, King has been involved with reviewing andapproving every easement that MET has accepted—morethan 1,010 easements. King devoted hundreds of hours eachyear to MET’s activities, particularly during his five years aschairman, including providing staff oversight and participatingin MET’s program development. King has literally madehundreds of trips to Annapolis and Baltimore to attendmeetings, meet with legislators and prospective donors,and make speeches and presentations. at is dedication!

On the beautiful summer evening of June 14th, the METBoard of Trustees, together with staff and guests, gatheredin the wine cellar of the Boordy Vineyard to recognize andhonor the retiring chairman for his leadership and long termcommitment to MET. More than 40 guests enjoyed local wineand a special dinner. Newly-elected chair Jim O’Connellremarked on King’s life long dedication to land conservationand to MET. Special guest speakers included David Miller,past MET director (1976-83) who served under King’s firsttenure as chair; Joe Gill, deputy secretary of DNR, whopresented a Governor’s Citation to King; and Senator RoyDyson, who presented both a Senate and House Resolutionand a Resolution from the Comptroller.

King’s commitment to land conservation and theenvironment is also demonstrated by his involvement inother organizations. He also serves on the Lower ShoreLand Trust board of directors and is one of the founders anda member of the board of directors and executive committeeof the Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology. King alsohas donated easements limiting development on his 80-acrefarm. Although retiring as chairman, King will continue toserve as a trustee and looks forward to remaining active withMET activities.

Special thanks to the Deford family for the use of theBoordy wine cellar for this special occasion. Established in1945, Boordy is Maryland’s oldest family-run winery. It isowned by the R.B. Deford family and is situated on their230-acre farm located on Long Green Pike in the Baltimorecountryside. is property is protected in perpetuity by anMET conservation easement.

Special Event Held for Retiring Chairman

Land MarksFall/Winter 2010

Boordy Vineyards

King Burnett and DNR Deputy Secretary,Joe Gill

With the nation’s economic outcome remaining uncertain andwith budget cuts and job losses, no one is feeling confident

about the future of land conservation. However, there is still reasonto be optimistic. e Obama Administration’s recent commitmentto the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay (Treasured Landscapes andthe Great American Outdoors initiatives) has renewed an interestnationwide in protecting important cultural and natural landscapes,specifically the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Attitudes about theenvironment also seem to be changing with some polls showingthat 80% of Americans think of themselves as “environmentalists.”

With the Federal tax incentives hopefully becoming permanentsoon, the possibility of federal funding for land protection, and with all the creative energy atthe local, state and federal level, I believe we can accomplish the land conservation goals andinitiatives spelled out in the Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed(See http://executiveorder. chesapeakebay.net/ for information concerning the goals andactions for the region).

e outpouring of support for MET from citizens and local land trusts last spring whenMET was faced with the possibility of being eliminated shows that many people understand theunique role that MET plays in permanently protecting open space, forests and farmland. As manyof you know, legislative auditors had MET in their sights during the last General Assembly.ey were taking a very hard look at the DNR state budget and we had to work hard to defendour program. is exercise helped to educate the lawmakers about the significance and costeffectiveness of MET and made us a stronger organization. It also made MET think seriouslyabout the need to increase our fundraising efforts to ensure future financial support for METand to help expand our programs.

In addition to cuts in state funding, MET’s highly-leveraged Land Trust Grant Fund, arevolving fund to help land trusts purchase important land, was taken by the General Assemblyas part of the Budget Reconciliation Act. MET also saw a reduction of staff resources at a timewhen MET’s responsibilities (including stewardship) have significantly increased. e timehas come to diversify MET’s sources of funding—and that’s where we could use your support.

MET is embarking on an ambitious campaign to double our Stewardship Fund to$120,000 this year. e Fund directly supports MET’s ongoing stewardship costs, includingstaffing, transportation, data management, and communications, as well as imaging andmapping technologies.

I ask that you please consider a tax-deductible contribution to MET’s Stewardship Fundthis season. With your support, MET can ensure the permanent protection of our conservationeasements—more than 1000 and counting! We thank you for helping us to preserve and protectMaryland’s irreplaceable vistas and natural resources.

We continue to emphasize the importance of private land conservation —there is simplynot enough money to buy all the land that needs to be protected. In the long run, donatedconservation easements must complement the State’s efforts to purchase land or easements,and MET can provide landowners with the tools they need to protect their land “in perpetuity,”in other words, “forever.”

BOARD OF TRUSTEESJames R. O’Connell

ChairJames W. Constable

Vice ChairHonorable S. Jay Plager

TreasurerAnn H. Jones

SecretaryDoris Blazek-WhiteDonald N. BriggsK. King Burnett

Susan Duke Hance-WellsWilliam B. Icenhower, MD

Constance LiederJames B. MorrisSteven Quarles

AREA REPRESENTATIVESGoodloe E. (Geb) Byron, Jr.

Frederick CountyV. David Grayson

Carroll CountyPhilip R. Hager

Allegany CountyCharlotte Staelin, Ph.D

Kent County

EX-OFFICIOMEMBERSSenator Roy DysonDelegate Dana Stein

Meredith Lathbury, Director,Land Acquisition and Planning,

Department of Natural Resources(Governor’s Representative)

TRUSTEES EMERITUSAjax EastmanJohn C. MurphyEllen Kelly

Dr. Henry A. Virts

STAFFElizabeth Buxton

DirectorAdam Block

Central Region Planner/Legislative LiaisonJon Chapman

Stewardship Program ManagerAnn Gutierrez CarlsonEastern Region Planner

Lisa HolmesAdministrative Assistant

Rebekah HoweyLand Trust Assistance Coordinator/

Keep Maryland Beautiful CoordinatorJohn Hutson

Easement Program Manager/Southern Region Planner

Michelle JohnsonVolunteer Program Coordinator

Joan R. LallyMonitoring and Stewardship Specialist

Carole SimonMonitoring Specialist

Megan SinesWestern Region Planner

by Elizabeth Buxton,MET DirectorDirector’sNote

This summer MET worked with federal, state, and local partnersto acquire three conservation easements on 601 acres in Queen

Anne’s and Cecil Counties. e scenic rural and agriculturalcharacter of these lands will be forever protected by these easements.

Brown’s Branch Farm is a 218-acre farm located in ChurchHill in Queen Anne’s County. e farm boasts a half mile ofscenic frontage along the Chesapeake Country Scenic Bywayand nearly two miles of scenic frontage along Browns Branch, atributary of the Chester River. Travelers along this section of theByway will forever enjoy views of the farm’s rolling fields andforests. In addition, habitat found along Browns Branch is nowprotected by the easement. e conservation easement waspurchased on Brown’s Branch Farm using Federal transportationfunds earmarked for the protection of scenic views along theChesapeake Country National Scenic Byway. Former CongressmanWayne Gilchrest was instrumental in getting these funds earmarkedfor the Byway. MET, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC),Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties along with the StateHighway Administration have been working cooperatively toprotect key properties along the Byway.

“MET is pleased to work with Queen Anne’s County, theNatural Resources Conservation Service and the ESLC, to helpthese landowners protect their farms.” said Elizabeth Buxton,MET Director. “Successful land conservation must be tailored tothe unique factors in each community and use a variety of landconservation tools and resources.”

e second property protected in Queen Anne’s County wasHome Farm, 267 acres just outside Kingstown. Of the property’s276 acres, 238 acres are classified as prime farmland soils. eeasement will ensure there rich soils will always be available forfarming. Home Farm is adjacent to a 3,866-acre block of protectedfarmland and is an integral part of the predominantly agriculturalsetting of the area. Scenic views of the fields can be enjoyed from

MD Route 544. To protect the 267-acre Home Farm, METpartnered with the ESLC, Queen Anne’s County, and the USDANatural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). A conservationeasement was purchased on Home Farm using funds from theFederal Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program administeredby NRCS and matched with funds from the Queen Anne’s CountyCritical Farms Program.

Queen Anne’s County Commissioner Paul Gunther, speakingon behalf of the five-member Board of Commissioners, praised thecooperative effort. “We are so pleased to be part of this collaborativeeffort to protect these valuable farms,” said Gunther, “ese typesof successful projects illustrate just how government agencies andprivate organizations can work together to preserve land alongsensitive areas. We look forward to even more public and privateventures as budgets remain tight over the next few years.”

MET’s third easement protected 115 acres of the 678-acreMt. Ararat Farm in Cecil County. e easement protects scenicviews from Route 222, Frenchtown Road, and the breathtakingvista visible to motorists traveling north on I-95/Tydings MemorialBridge as it crosses the Susquehanna River. Additionally, the easementprovides a vital trail connection for the Lower SusquehannaGreenway, protects 70 acres of forested stream valley, and 32acres of Chesapeake Bay Critical Area.

Partners for this project included MET, Cecil Land Trust,e Conservation Fund, DNR, State Highway Administration andthe Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway. e conservationeasement was purchased with a combination of funds from thefederal government’s transportation enhancement program, eConservation Fund, and DNR’s Program Open Space.

Upon completion of the Mt. Ararat Farm easement, BillCrouch, Maryland Representative at e Conservation Fund,commented that, “on this easement and several others, METhas been vital to the success of the project. eir expertise innegotiating and drafting conservation easements is unparalleledin Maryland. MET did a great job at capturing the landowner’svision for the farm and protecting the public access and conservationfeatures of the property.”

MET Partners to Protect Eastern Shore Properties

“successful land conservation must be tailored tothe unique factors in each community and use avariety of land conservation tools and resources.”

View of I-95/Tydings Memorial Bridge from Mt. Ararat Farm

Views of fields of Home Farm

^

MET again hosted the annual Maryland Land Trust AllianceConference on May 27th. It is the only state-wide land

conservation conference and training workshop for land trustsin Maryland. e event was held at the Pearlstone Retreat andConference Center in Reisterstown. With its own organic farm,trails and habitat restoration areas, the 164-acre campus was aperfect setting for inspirational and educational sessions for the100 attendees from land conservation organizations. MET waspleased to hold the conference this year in Baltimore County—which has more acres of preserved open space than any othercounty in the state. is conference was made possible withsupport from e Conservation Fund, e Trust for PublicLand, and the Land Trust Alliance (LTA).

Rand Wentworth, LTA President, was the keynote speaker.e LTA is the national convener, strategist, and representativeof more than 1,600 land trusts across America. Rand addressedthe challenges facing conservation. LTA has worked extensivelywith land trusts to improve practices, introduce independentaccreditation and reform appraisal practice to grow strong andethical land trust organizations. e fact that over 100 land trustsare now accredited by LTA is a demonstration of its commitmentto excellence in land conservation LTA is proposing a Conservation

Defense Insurance program for land trusts to help meet costs andobligations of facing challenges to the permanence of conservationeasements. Over 400 land trusts from 47 states have now committedover 17,000 conservation easements and fee owned parcels to theproposed conservation defense insurance program.

Educational workshops and sessions were offered on a varietyof topics including fundraising, federal and state policy, land-useplanning and conservation, and restoration opportunities. Fieldtrips visited local farms with restoration programs and looked atdevelopment patterns. As part of the conference, the MarylandDepartment of Planning presented PlanMaryland—a new planningprocess designed to create a better and more sustainable futurefor Maryland.

is annual land conservation conference provides an opportunityfor training and the exchange of new ideas within the land trustcommunity. Development pressures, loss of natural areas andfarmland, and the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay continue tobe among the top concerns in Maryland. e conference helpsland trusts to increase their knowledge and collaboration withlocal, state and federal partners, to increase the pace and quality ofland conservation.

Maryland Land Trust Alliance Conference Held in May

Conference participants.

3!

Rand Wentworth chats with conference attendees.Conference presenters Ryan Ewing, Kelly Carneal and Sean Robertson.

LTA President, Rand Wentworth delivers keynote address.

^

Miriam Avins of Baltimore GreenSpace was the moving force behind thefounding of Baltimore Green Space, aland trust for Baltimore City's communitygardens, pocket parks, and other openspaces created and maintained byresidents. ese urban oases convertblighted lots into places of beautyand growth, bringing environmental,social, and economic benefits to their

neighborhoods and the whole city.In 2009, her leadership led to important policy changes that

will make Baltimore greener for the long term. e creation of anOffice of Sustainability for Baltimore City and the publication ofa sustainability plan facilitated an opening to craft an agreementbased on an understanding of green spaces’ social, environmental,and economic benefits to Baltimore. Avins successfully workedwith city agencies to create criteria and a process for selling city-owned land as community-managed open spaces to qualifiedland trusts for $1 per lot. In December 2009, sales contracts wereapproved for the first two community-managed open spaces tobe preserved under the program—the Pigtown Horseshoe Pitand the Duncan Street Miracle Garden.

Cathy Hudson of Rockburn LandTrust (RLT) led a working committeewithin RLT called Save Belmont, toprotect this 18th century estate whichis listed on the National Register ofHistoric Places and one of the bestpreserved manor homes in Maryland.e goal of Save Belmont was to ensurethat the owners of Belmont woulduse the property within reasonable

environmental and preservation parameters and follow theintentions of the easements already placed on the property.

In November 2004, Howard Community College’s EducationFoundation purchased Belmont and its accompanying 83 acres.College development plans for Belmont not only violated theBelmont easement, but were so intensive and out of character

for the locale that the board of the RLT decided to make savingBelmont a high priority. Over five years Cathy and Save Belmontmembers met with the elected officials, DNR and HowardCommunity College’s president and board members.

Cathy’s leadership and efforts culminated in the collegeabandoning its plans for development and eventually placingBelmont for sale. e college’s decision to sell the property bringsopportunity that Belmont will remain in its original condition andsignals to future owners of Belmont that the property is protectedand the intent of the preservation easement must be followed.

Avins and Hudson Honored with Aileen Hughes Award

4}

each year, met presents the aileen hughes award to an individual or individuals representing a maryland landtrust for leadership, partnership and innovation in a conservation project. this annual award is presentedin honor of the late aileen hughes, a true leader in the conservation movement. aileen was a supporter ofwomen’s and civil rights, as well as the protection of our state’s natural and cultural resources. aileenserved as the president of the american chestnut land trust for many years .

Keith and Lisa Marie GhezziReceive Dillon Award

Dr. Keith and Lisa MarieGhezzi were honored withthe 2010 Dillon Award forLandowner Conservation.e Ghezzi's donated aneasement on 27 woodedacres in Talbot Countyand are completing anextensive living shorelineproject on the property.e effort grew into alarger habitat restorationproject to protect thehabitat and educate localstudents about Stateprotected diamondbackterrapins.

MET Board of Trustees presents the Dillon Award annuallyin honor of Alverta and Louise Dillon who donated aperpetual conservation easement and then bequeathedtheir entire Garrett County property to the MET in 1984.e Dillon Award was inaugurated in 2002.

there is one thing Norton T. Dodge’s life is not lacking,it’s adventure. From learning to rope cattle on his ranchschool in Arizona when he was young, to acquiring

dissident artwork from Russia during the Cold War, Dodge hasseen it all. While his interests have taken him to locations all overthe country, it became clear after speaking with Dodge and hiswife, that their true passion lies with the preservation of the naturallandscape of their historic Cremona farm near Mechanicsville,MD. Located on the west bank of the Patuxent River, Cremona isthe largest property in St. Mary’s County under conservationeasement with the MET.

e couple grew up in areas surrounded by vast stretches ofopen land: Norton in Oklahoma and Nancy in Illinois. eseinviting landscapes influenced the Dodges to experience natureup close. To Nancy, there was nothing better than sailing on LakeMichigan or walking through a corn field and listening to therustling of the husks. Norton remembers going on canoe tripsdown the St. Lawrence, Colorado and Green Rivers with hisfather—not seeing another soul for days—just how Norton likedit. is driving impulse to be in the natural world has carried overinto their current residence surrounded by farm land and fieldsand a vast, untouched nature preserve.

Later in life, after having completed graduate school atHarvard University, Norton took a position teaching economicsat the University of Maryland and then, from 1980 to 1988, atSt. Mary’s College of Maryland, after serving two terms on theBoard of Trustees. While living in Maryland, he soon fell in lovewith the tidewater region and began looking for property. Heeventually found a piece of land downriver from Cremona. WhenCremona came up for auction, Dodge and his wife bought the750 acre historic farm which is listed on the National Register ofHistoric Places.

Since then, the Dodges have expanded Cremona to a total of1,275 acres. Today the farm contains 40 buildings and structures,several of which are entrenched in the deep history of the areaand date back to 1819 or earlier. Horse stables, miles of ridingtrails, historic rental houses, crops of corn, soybeans, and wheat,and an experimental vineyard also dot the landscape. In additionto activities, Cremona contains nearly every imaginable kind ofecosystem and wild animal of the area. e forests, marshes,fields, waterfront, and creeks are home to everything from foxesand minks to terrapins, eagles, swans, geese and song birds.

After having lived atCremona for so longthe Dodges haveseen their fair shareof environmentaldegradation, with oneof the most immediatedetrimental activitiesbeing the dredgingof the Patuxent Riverby clammers. Starting

in the 1980s, clammers have exhausted the clam population byscraping the river bottom. is in turn destroyed the nearbyoyster beds through silt deposition, leading to a decrease in

the population of white swans. White swans used to winter atCremona by the hundreds. Water pollution in the river hassteadily gotten worse over the years, while the property has alsobeen plagued by invasive species, shoreline erosion and airpollution resulting primarily from a nearby power plant.

In addition to these setbacks, there is also the ever presentthreat of encroaching residential sprawl. at is why the Dodgeshave placed their property under a perpetual easement with theMET so as to leave nothing to chance. “Both of us care very muchabout maintaining large areas of woodland and open space for theenjoyment of future generations. We’ve seen so many farms andforests cut to pieces by development that we’ve become veryprotective of Cremona and appreciate the role that the MET hasplayed in preservation,” said Nancy.

With two perpetual conservation easements protecting theland, the Dodges can now look confidently to the future ofCremona. After all, it is not just a farm, but an opportunity forarcheological, historic and environmental exploration. e couplehopes to pursue future projects like oyster restoration, organicfarming, tracking air and water pollutants, hosting environmentalfield-trips, continuing research on the terrapin population, andconducting studies of the fauna and flora of the woods andmarshes. e Dodges would also like to learn more about theproperty’s past by conducting oral interviews with locals whoknow about the area’s history, and by doing archaeological digsof past structures and shell middens on the property. roughenvironmental preservation, Cremona will enable the Dodgesand others to continue experiencing a lifestyle of adventure.

5!

Landowner Spotlight: Norton & Nancy Dodge

If

e land conservation profession often revolves around statistics – number of acres protected, miles of shoreline preserved, value ofdevelopment rights extinguished. At MET we try not to lose sight of the fact that behind every one of our easement properties is alandowner. And each landowner has a story to tell. Landowner Spotlight is a series that captures and shares those inspiring stories.

Cremona Farm: Jewel of the Patuxent River by Jamie Haydel, St. Mary’s College Intern

Norton and Nancy Dodge

6}

College Intern Joined MET forthe Summer

MET was fortunate to have Aviva Brownserve as a summer intern. Aviva is ajunior at St. Mary’s College of Marylandmajoring in Sociology with a minor inEnvironmental Studies. Aviva assisted theconservation easement and stewardshipprograms and participated in the volunteermonitoring training session and theMLTA conference. She prepared field

files for monitoring and accompanied staff during monitoringvisits to the field. Aviva was a great addition to our organizationfor the summer.

Met’s Website Has a New Look!Visit www.dnr.maryland.gov/met/ to learn more about:• How to donate a Conservation Easement• What financial incentives exist for Conservation

Easement donations• Who to contact if you have a question• When and where MET is having an event• How you can help MET• Meet MET staff and Board of Trustees• Find your local Land Trust• Download resources to help you steward your

Conservation Easement land

MET Staff

James O’Connell succeeds KingBurnett as Chairman of MET.

Jim has served as a trustee of theMET since 2006. “I’m thrilled to betaking the helm at such a criticaltime in MET’s history,” said Jim,after he was elected as chair bythe Board of Trustees at the Maymeeting. “Land conservation inMaryland during the next 10-15

years needs to be a priority so that it can match the increasedpace of development and population growth. e restorationof the Chesapeake Bay is contingent upon the protection ofwetlands, forests and open space in the watershed.”

In addition to his position with MET, O’Connell is a memberof many conservation organizations. He is the president of theSugarloaf Countryside Conservancy, a local land trust for theMontgomery County Agricultural Reserve. He is also a memberof Trout Unlimited and the Izaak Walton League of America.A resident of Montgomery County, O’Connell owns a farm whichis protected with a Rural Legacy Easement. He and his familyhave also preserved three properties in Dorchester County withconservation easements.

O’Connell graduated from the University of Maryland andGeorgetown University Law Center. Following service as an officerin the United States Marine Corps, he joined the law firm ofO’Donoghue & O’Donoghue LLP in Washington, D.C., in whichhe is now a senior partner.

From left to right: Elizabeth Buxton, Michelle Johnson, Jon Chapman, Adam Block, Carole Simon, John Hutson, Ann Gutierrez Carlson,Megan Sines, Beki Howey, Joan R. Lally, Lisa Holmes, Kristen Maneval

O’Connell Named as New Chairman of MET

StewardshipWHAT IS STEWARDSHIP?Stewardship is essentially everything that happens after therecordation of an easement. It includes:

D MAInTAInInG communication and promoting goodrelationships with easement donors/ landowners.

D RESPonDInG to inquiries about easement applicabilityfrom potential buyers, real estate agents, neighbors, localgovernments, etc., and answering questions on allowedor restricted activities.

D REVIEWInG AnD DECIDInG upon requests to exercisereserved rights (e.g. to build additional residences,replace/relocate/expand homes, subdivide eased property).

D InVESTIGATInG AnD EnFoRCInG against reported/foundviolations. Generally, MET seeks to resolve issuesvoluntarily with landowners, but if we can’t come to aresolution, we may seek the legal assistance of theOffice of Attorney General.

D VERIFyInG (MonIToRInG) Compliance with EasementRestrictions. e process involves:• Reviewing easement language, past activities and

correspondence.• Alerting and scheduling a visit with landowner(s).• Conducting a site visit, in which we photograph

structures and observable conservation features, e.g.farm landscape, wetlands, buffers, shoreline, wildlife.

• Filling out and typing up a visit form and printingout photos.

• Sending follow up correspondence to landowner(s).• Updating and maintaining information on lands

under easement, e.g. land use, acreage, structures,and ownership.

If you have questions on recent easements (after 2006),please feel free to contact your regional easement plannerat 1.877.514.7900. For easements donated prior to2006, please contact Joan Lally, Stewardship Specialistat jlally@dnr.state.md.us. Contact Jon Chapman,Stewardship Manager at jchapman@dnr.state.md.uswith questions regarding requests to exercise rights thatrequire prior approval.

FOCUS ON

In APRIL, MET held its annual spring training for volunteers atCromwell Valley Park in Baltimore County. Participants receivedprocedural and “feet on the ground” training through a mockmonitoring visit on the Cromwell Valley Park easement portionof the property. Trained volunteers will then be able to assistregular monitoring of MET easement properties ensure that theterms of the easement are upheld and that landowner concernsare addressed.

In JunE, MET hosted its first Volunteer Appreciation Day inconjunction with a half day Stewardship Forum. Volunteers andstaff met at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center in QueenAnne’s County, which is protected with an easement held by METand the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. Participants enjoyedlunch and an afternoon of canoeing and kayaking around MarshyCreek. MET is grateful to our dedicated volunteers who donatetheir time to ensure that natural places are protected. Over thelast year, MET volunteers have successfully monitored over3,500 acres.

“ose who can, do. ose who can do more, volunteer.”~Author Unknown

Many thanks to our volunteers for theirtremendous assistance and dedication

to MET in 2010!

Henry BakerBronwyn BellingMargaux BerestonAnn BurchardLaurie CavegnKarl ChristensenHarry CoulombeScott FetterolfEd GalvinDavid HobsonJohn Jones

David KiefferDennis KingTed KlugaChris LeachAlice LeadermanPat MaherKeith MitchellWerner SchumannKatya ShpinoTed WeberCharlie Wells

Participants enjoy Volunteer Appreciation Day along Marshy Creek.

8}

FOCUS ON STEWARDSHIP

VOLUNTEERS IN ACTION

=

is fast growing invasive weed is springing up allover Maryland. Can you identify it?• Found at forest edges, stream banks, wetlands, roadsides,

and in uncultivated fields, fence lines and other disturbedopen areas.

• Forms a thick blanket of vines that smother and kill native plants.• Has downward-pointing barbs on stems and leaves.• Has small green flowers in June-July followed by blue-purple

fruit clusters.

It’s Mile-A-Minute Weed (Asiatic Tearthumb, Devil’s TailTearthumb).• A prolific seeder, with seeds often lasting up to six years.• Often dispersed long distances by birds.

Management options for control vary depending onthe degree of infestation:• Maintain wide vegetative buffers along streams and forest

edges, to screen out & prevent establishment.• Avoid clearing or creating holes in existing vegetation.• Hand-pull before barbs harden on stems and leaves.• Use protective gloves and clothing throughout summer with

caution to avoid spreading new seeds.• Recheck infested sites many times each year throughout

seed germination (early April through early July in Mid-Atlantic region).

• Repeat mowing and weed whipping of low infestationsreduces plant reserves and flowering.

• To control severe infestations in high priority areas,pre-emergent herbicides can be used in early spring. Obtainrecommendations from Maryland Extension or local nursery.

Do you suspect an invasive plant is growing in youryard, field or woodland? To identify it:• Take a sample to your local nursery, university or county

extension office.• Refer online to “Species for Concern in Maryland” at

www.mdinvasivesp.org• Refer to brochure Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas

online at www.nps.gov/plants/alien/pubs/midatlantic

For management options, visit www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact

MET’s Volunteer ProgramMET HAS uTILIzED VoLunTEERS To ACCoMPLISH ITS MISSIonsince it was first established in 1967. e Board of Trustees iscomposed of 12 private citizen volunteers who dedicate thousandsof hours to MET. Volunteers also help MET in the capacity ofcommittee members and interns. ey have assisted with avariety of policy questions, developed outreach materials, andhelped in drafting language for easement amendments. Beginningin 2003, however, MET began an organized program to usevolunteers to visit and monitor conservation easements.

e MET Volunteer Monitoring program began with thesupport of Volunteer Maryland (VM) who selected MET as ahost site for a part-time volunteer coordinator. With the firstVolunteer Maryland coordinator, Brent McKee, MET developedpolicies and procedures, recruitment strategy, and trainingmaterials. A corps of 20 volunteer easement monitors wererecruited, trained and assigned to MET easement properties.MET volunteers have a demonstrated an interest in the environment,have background checks and are trained in monitoring procedures,

more importantly, they understand their important role asMET ambassadors.

Volunteers have been effective in monitoring many of MET’seasement properties. MET has continued to employ part-timevolunteer coordinators. Over the years, numbers of active volunteersebbed and flowed, averaging around a dozen, with annual visitsaveraging 49. Recently, MET has made a commitment to monitorits properties annually (a necessary step to meet accreditation bythe Land Trust Alliance Accreditation Commission) and is activelyincreasing volunteerism to help accomplish this goal. MichelleJohnson, MET’s Volunteer Coordinator, is managing this effortand will recruit and train additional volunteer monitors. METcurrently has 18 active volunteers who monitored a record 60properties last year.

MET volunteers help to ensure that the conservation legacies ofeasement donors are preserved in perpetuity. For more informationabout MET’s Volunteer Program, please contact Michelle Johnson,by email: mjohnson@dnr.state.md.us or by calling 1.877.514.7900.

What’s In Your Landscape – And What Can You Do About It?

9!

FOCUS ON STEWARDSHIP

MET has over 1000 conservation easements and workswith many different landowners. How do we keep contact

with all of these people, and make sure that they know the detailsof all those agreements?

e answer is the network of community land trusts workingall across the state. Our partners range from national conservationorganizations to concerned citizens working in our rural or historiccommunities, to groups providing urban oasis in our large townsand cities. Over half of our easements are jointly held with apartner land trust. Jointly-held conservation easements provideadvantages in two separate organizations taking responsibility forthe long-term protection of the conservation agreement.

Land trusts offer knowledge of their local community, includingits leadership structure, government, political environment, landuse laws and regulations, and natural and historic assets. eyare an invaluable asset to inspire community support for the land,historical and cultural preservation. Land trusts develop deep linksinto their community and provide ways to reach many differentgroups working to preserve and improve the environmentalwell-being of their communities.

e strength of land trusts is that they are locally based andhave insight into specific priority lands for preservation. eircommunity links provide a strong channel to elected representativesto support county and state land conservation programs. METstrongly values and recognizes the relationship that land trusts canbuild with regular contact with landowners.

MET’s Land Trust Assistance Program provides opportunitiesfor education, sharing ideas and support to nearly 50 land trusts.Over two-thirds of land trusts working in their communities aresupported by all volunteers. MET’s technical and conservationexpertise greatly help our partners face the challenges ofstewardship. is summer we gathered experts from our landtrusts for our first ever Stewardship Forum. is group of peoplewill be working with landowners to ensure preserved propertiesmet the terms of the conservation agreement. Trained volunteerswith our partner land trusts are a vital part of our program toknow and help our landowners.

Our partners can be found at www.maryland.gov/met under“Your Land Trusts.” Getting involved with the land trust in yourarea is a great way to show your support!

Meet Our Local Land Trust PartnersFOCUS ON STEWARDSHIP

D

D

D

MET was established by the Maryland General Assembly in1967. By statute, MET is governed by a citizen-led Board ofTrustees that includes representatives of the Governor andState legislature.

MET serves as the statewide land trust. e mission of METis the protection of land from development through donatedconservation easements. A conservation easement is aperpetual legal agreement between a landowner and a landtrust that permanently limits the uses on the land in orderto protect its conservation values. It ensures that a propertyshall not be developed or subdivided beyond an agreedlimit. e land is thereby protected and preserved while thelandowner retains all rights of ownership and privacy. Aneasement is binding on all future landowners.

MET accepted its first easement donation in 1972, a timewhen land protection and conservation easements were stillin their infancy. Today, MET is one of the oldest and mostsuccessful land trusts in the nation. Working with 56 localland trust partners, MET has permanently protected over126,000 acres on more than 1,000 properties encompassingall 23 counties and the City of Baltimore, primarily throughvoluntary conservation easements.

Make a contributionto MET today!

is newsletter is printed on 100% recycled paper using soy-based inks.

100 Community PlaceFirst Floor

Crownsville, MD 21032-2023PHONE 410.514.7900

TOLL FREE 877.514.7900FAx 410.514.7919

www.dnr.state.md.us/met

To date, MET has protected over 125,000 acres on morethan 1,000 easements across the state. MET has the long

term responsibility for monitoring and stewarding theseproperties in perpetuity. Regular monitoring requiresconsiderable resources and MET has established the StewardshipFund to help offset expenses related to monitoring our easementproperties. Your generous contribution to the StewardshipFund will ensure that the conservation easements will beupheld into the future.

PLEASE MAIL youR TAx DEDuCTIBLE DonATIon InTHE EnCLoSED EnVELoPE. THAnK you!

Thank You to Our Contributors:Charles and Caroline BensonRonald Boyer and

Lizabeth McDowellBurnet and Lydia ChalmersGaylord ClarkBill and Sarah D’AlonzoDelaware Community FoundationAjax EastmanMartha FurmanEdward Huber

Patricia HutchinsonJames LighthizerKurt MillerJames and Maureen O’ConnellHenry PittsMr. and Mrs. Ronald M. ShapiroAlan StonebrakerAdena TestaMichael and Cheryl Zimmer

Did you know?