The Maryland Board of Public Works has approved over $1.4 million in grant funding through the Department of Natural Resources to support outdoor recreation and land conservation efforts across several counties, including Charles, Frederick, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, St. Mary’s, and Worcester.
In Queen Anne’s County, approximately $180,000 from Program Open Space – Local was approved to extend the South Island Trail by one mile, connecting Christ Church and Marine Academy Drive in Matapeake. The project also includes funding for trail signs and benches.
Prince George’s County will receive $500,000 from the Local Parks and Playgrounds Infrastructure Program to replace aging playground equipment, install shade structures, and plant trees at Parklawn Park Building Park. This program supports local governments with park and recreation infrastructure projects.
In Frederick County, the Town of Thurmont was granted $52,000 through the Community Parks and Playgrounds Program to replace outdated playground equipment at Carroll Street Park. This program provides funding to municipalities to develop or restore recreational spaces and is currently open for applications until August 20, 2025.
Additionally, over $660,000 in Rural Legacy Program funding was approved for the purchase of conservation easements on three properties totaling 159 acres. These include an 84-acre easement in the Huntersville Rural Legacy Area in St. Mary’s County by the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust, protecting forested stream buffers along tributaries of Little Cat Creek.
In Worcester County, a 26-acre farm in the Bishopville-Showell Rural Legacy Area will be preserved to maintain agricultural productivity and protect water quality. Charles County will add a 49-acre easement to the Nanjemoy-Mattawoman Forest Rural Legacy Area to conserve critical wildlife habitat and water resources.
The funding decisions were included in the Board of Public Works’ July 16, 2025, meeting agenda. The Board consists of Governor Wes Moore, Treasurer Dereck E. Davis, and Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman.
Program Open Space – Local, established in 1969, supports local governments in acquiring and developing recreational lands and is funded by Maryland’s property transfer tax. The Rural Legacy Program, launched in 1997, protects large working landscapes across the state and, along with the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, recently earned national recognition from the American Farmland Trust.
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