Rural Legacy Program, MD

Along the sheltered bays of Maryland’s Atlantic coastline, farms, forests, and fisheries have long sustained local communities. In recent years, however, the Coastal Bays region has been losing ground to development and rapid population growth. As a lead partner in Maryland’s Rural Legacy Program, the Fund is working with local communities and landowners to protect sensitive shoreline, wildlife habitat, and the agricultural way of life on fragile coastal bay lands.

Thus far the successful partnership has protected 12,864 acres of working landscapes and wildlife habitat, including 16 miles of coastline along Chincoteague Bay.