Patuxent Tidewater Land Tr

PATUXENT TIDEWATER LAND TRUST (PTLT) PRESERVES RURAL LANDS FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS THROUGH CONSERVATION EASEMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. IN 2021 WE ADDED EASEMENTS ON 153 ACRES OF LAND BRINGING OUR PROTECTED TOTAL TO 47 PARCELS AND 6298 ACRES. (SEE SCHEDULE O)

EASEMENT ACQUISITION: WE CONTINUED TO ACQUIRE NEW EASEMENTS TO PROTECT PROPERTY IN SOUTHERN MARYLAND IN PERPETUITY. THREE NEW EASEMENTS WERE ESTABLISHED IN 2022 PROTECTING 173 ADDITIONAL ACRES OF LAND AND BRINGING OUR TOTAL LAND PROTECTED TO 6298 ACRES. ONE OF THESE EASEMENTS WAS FUNDED BY GRANTS FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND'S RURAL LEGACY (RL) PROGRAM AND FROM ST. MARY'S COUNTY. THE SECOND USED FUNDING FROM THE RL PROGRAM AND FROM ONE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE'S READINESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION INTEGRATION (REPI) PROGRAM. THE MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL & RESOURCE-BASED INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (MARBIDCO) FUNDED THE THIRD EASEMENT THROUGH THEIR NEW FARMERS PROGRAM. WE CONTINUED WORKING WITH LANDOWNERS TO PLACE EASEMENTS ON PROPERTIES WITHIN THE RECENTLY APPROVED EXPANSION OF THE HUNTERSVILLE RURAL LEGACY AREA LOCATED IN MID ST. MARY'S COUNTY MARYLAND. THIS EXPANSION ADDED ALMOST 6000 ADDITIONAL ACRES AND 158 NEW PARCELS AVAILABLE FOR PROTECTION. THE MARYLAND RURAL LEGACY BOARD AWARDED PTLT $853,262 IN FY 2023 TO FUND EASEMENTS IN THIS AREA AND THE REPI PROGRAM HAS APPROVED THREE PLANNED EASEMENTS FOR SHARED FUNDING ONE OF WHICH CLOSED IN 2022.

EASEMENT MONITORING: FOR THE EIGHTH YEAR IN A ROW, PTLT HAS ACCOMPLISHED 100% OF ITS PROPERTY MONITORING REQUIREMENTS DURING THE COLD SEASON MONITORING PERIOD. PTLT USES AN ALL-VOLUNTEER TEAM OF MONITORS UNDER THE OVERSIGHT OF A MONITORING COORDINATOR. PTLT'S TEAM WORKS WITH THE VOLUNTEER MONITORING COORDINATOR TO IDENTIFY AND EVALUATE POTENTIAL ISSUES AND TO COMPLETE, FILE AND DISTRIBUTE THE MONITORING REPORTS FOR OUR RECORDS. THESE REPORTS ARE SUBMITTED TO OUR EASEMENT CO-HOLDERS AND SPONSORS. THIS EFFORT, WHILE NOT CONSUMING LARGE AMOUNTS OF FUNDING, IS CRITICAL TO ENSURING THAT THE CONSERVATION VALUE OF OUR PROPERTIES IS MAINTAINED, AND NO EASEMENT VIOLATIONS OCCUR. THE MARYLAND ENVIRONMENTAL TRUST GRANTS PTLT FUNDS TO MONITOR PROPERTIES FOR WHICH THEY ARE CO-HOLDERS.

EASEMENT COMPLIANCE: DUE IN PART TO OUR THOROUGH MONITORING PROGRAM, PTLT HAS HAD FEW EASEMENT COMPLIANCE ISSUES AND WE TRY HARD TO RESOLVE THEM AMICABLY. OUR VOLUNTEER BOARD MEMBERS INVESTIGATE AND RESOLVE EACH ISSUE. WE HOLD RESERVE FUNDS IN AN ENDOWMENT ACCOUNT AND PURCHASE INSURANCE TO ADDRESS ANY VIOLATIONS REQUIRING LEGAL OR TECHNICAL EXPERTISE. WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW UP WITH OUR LANDOWNERS ON POTENTIAL EASEMENT ISSUES AND HELP THEM ADDRESS PROBLEMS IN A TIMELY MANNER. OVER A YEAR AGO IT WAS NOTED IN ROUTINE MONITORING THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT DUMPING ON ONE OF OUR EASED PROPERTIES. THE PROPERTY OWNER WAS NOTIFIED BY US AND OUR EASEMENT CO-HOLDERS THAT THIS CONDITION WAS UNACCEPTABLE AND MUST BE CLEANED UP. THIS YEAR WE CLOSED OUT THIS ISSUE AS COMPLETELY RESOLVED. ON ANOTHER PROPERTY THE EASEMENT STEWARDSHIP MONITOR NOTED THAT THE FARM MANAGER HAD PLOWED FIELDS INTO THE REQUIRED VEGETATIVE BUFFER. WE FOLLOWED UP WITH A VISIT BY PTLT BOARD MEMBERS AND BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LAND TRUST CO-HOLDING THE CONSERVATION EASEMENT. WE SENT A LETTER TO THE OWNERS TO RESTORE THE BUFFER AND WALKED THE FIELD BORDER WITH THE FARM MANAGER TO GET HIS ASSURANCE THAT HE WOULD RESTORE THE BORDER. MONITORING THIS YEAR SHOWED THAT THE REQUIRED VEGETATIVE BUFFER HAS BEEN RESTORED SO NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUIRED.