Chesapeake Conservancy: Maryland Is a Model for the Nation in Land Conservation

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Annapolis, MD – Today, Maryland Secretary of the Department of Natural Resources Joshua Kurtz announced that the state has achieved a milestone goal for land conservation required by the Maryland the Beautiful Act six years ahead of schedule.

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Statewide

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The legislation established goals of conserving 30% of the state by 2030 and 40% by 2040. The Maryland Department of Planning, in the latest update of the Maryland Protected Lands Dashboard, reports that statewide, Maryland has already met the 30% mark with more than 1.85 million acres conserved as of February 2024.

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Maryland’s Portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

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According to DNR, within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed in Maryland, the most recent update shows 1,766,958 acres protected of the 5,849,431 acres in the watershed in Maryland (30.21% protected). Approximately 95% of the land in Maryland drains to the Bay.

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Other Chesapeake Bay Watershed States

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According to 2022 acreage estimates reported by the Chesapeake Bay Program in May 2023, the percentages of protected lands in the Chesapeake Bay watershed for other watershed states are:

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Delaware: 27.8%

District of Columbia: 22%

New York: 8.3%

Pennsylvania: 25.5%

Virginia: 21.0%

West Virginia: 16.4%

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The following statement is attributable to Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn:

“In response to the global nature crisis, Maryland continues to set the bar for the nation in meeting President Biden’s executive order to conserve 30% of the nation’s land and waters by 2030.

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"Not only has the 30% goal been met statewide, it has also been met within Maryland's portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

"Achieving the 30% goal six years ahead of schedule gives us the surge we need to meet the next goal, conserving 40% of the state's lands by 2040.

"The late Dr. Thomas Lovejoy who taught at George Mason University, was a pioneer in calling for the protection of 30 percent of the earth by 2030, along with an additional 20 percent of the earth designated as climate stabilization areas, as a milestone to conserving half of the planet by 2050."

Feature Photo by Maryland Department of Natural Resources