Maryland's Habitat Connectivity Network

Strategic Land Conservation

As of 2025, Department of Natural Resources land conservation programs including Program Open Space, the Rural Legacy Program, and the Maryland Environmental Trust have protected over 690,000 acres of land through the acquisition of fee-simple lands and conservation easements statewide. Many of these lands are incorporated in the mapped Habitat Connectivity Network​.

An important function of the Habitat Connectivity Network is to provide maps which government agencies and public and private conservation groups can use to help focus their efforts on strategic locations. ​

To further assist protection efforts, habitat conditions, biological data, connectivity, size and other information were assessed within each hub​. These data were used to assign an ecological score for each hub to help prioritize limited conservation funding. This approach, modified for smaller areas, is now being used to assign ecological scores to parcels under consideration for protection. This information is being used to guide DNR’s conservation actions on a regular basis.