WASHINGTON COUNTY APPROVED BUDGET
FY 2026
Land Preservation – Fund 28 – Departments 28010 – 28070
Contact – Chris Boggs
Department Description/Function
The Land Preservation Fund is used to account for programs related to agricultural land preservation easement programs. $400,000 of the revenues from the County Real Estate Transfer Tax is used to purchase permanent easements: half for the County Installment Payment Program (IPP) easements; half for the 60/40 match mechanism for the acquisition of Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program (MALPP) easements. The Agricultural Transfer Tax collected when properties convert from agricultural to non-agricultural use are split into two funds: the State Ag Transfer Tax portion, which must be used for MALPP easements, and the County Ag Transfer Tax portion, which may be used to leverage any of the County’s land preservation programs. These programs enhance the viability of agriculture in the County. Administrative and Compliance funds from easement settlements are deposited into the Fund 28 account and have been used to pay for easement-related services when they are due prior to settlement, compensation for land preservation employees, and monitoring of conservation easements procured by the County. The Fund is used by several programs, including the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Program (MALPP), Rural Legacy Program (RLP), Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), and Installment Payment Program (IPP).
Goals Fiscal Year 2026
Continue to work towards achieving the goal of 50,000 permanently preserved areas. This is an ongoing departmental goal. Settle our first Small Acreage Next Generation Farmland Acquisition project. Settle three Program Open Space easements. Settle five Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation easements. Complete expenditure of FY2025 RLP Grant and process RLA Grant agreement for FY2026. Settle three CREP easements.
Accomplishments Fiscal Year 2025
Surpassed 43,000 acres of permanently preserved land in the County. Met our FY2025 goal of settling our Next Generation Farmland Acquisition Program property transfer to another permanent easement program. Preserved six MALPP easements. This was just shy of our FY2025 goal to preserve eight easements. Preserved eight Rural Legacy easements. Committed $2.9 million of County funds toward permanent conservation easements in the County.
2026 Budget Document
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