Tracking Our Progress:
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Land Preservation Programs
Maryland has been a national leader in land conservation for more than 50 years. The purpose of State land preservation and recreation programs is to advance land conservation, the resource-based businesses that depend on the land base, and outdoor recreational opportunities throughout Maryland. According to statute, the majority of funding for State land preservation and recreation programs is provided through the collection of a 0.5% State property transfer tax. This funding mechanism was designed to directly tie development to available funding for open space and recreational facilities for the public good.
Note: Reported figures are based on best-available data at the time. CREP Permanent Easements, POS Local, POS Stateside-Easement, POS Stateside-Fee and Rural Legacy acres are based on the date of Board of Public Works approval. Tracking and reporting mechanisms are continually being refined and may result in changes to reported figures.
Annual Department of Natural Resources Acreage Report
This data is provided by the Real Property Records and Data Management team in the Land Acquisition and Planning Unit of Department of Natural Resources. The Annual Department of Natural Resources Acreage Report is updated annually and only includes department owned land within each land unit type, such as State Parks, State Forests, State Fish Management Areas, or State Fish Management Areas.
Note: Reported acreage is rounded and may not add up precisely to the totals provided in the
report. All figures are based on best-available data at the time. The Department continues to
update historical land records and acres reported are subject to changes based on refined data.
Maryland Land Preservation Dashboard
The
Maryland land preservation dashboard is designed to let you assess the current status of Maryland's land preservation efforts and to access the tabular data that informs the dashboard as well as available land preservation GIS data. Created in coordination with DNR and Planning's Geospatial and Data Analysis Unit, the dashboard incorporates data from local, state, federal, and non-governmental preservation programs. Click here to access the protected lands dashboard user guide.
