WHAT WE DO The Scenic Rivers Land Trust is unique as the organization in the Severn, South, Patuxent, Rhode and West River watersheds able to accept small private conservation easements as well as large parcels. A conservation easement is a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust that permanently protects property through the property deed. The owner determines the amount and type of development that can take place in the future within the conservation easement deed.Protecting open space within the Severn, South, Patuxent, Rhode and West River watersheds and is not an easy task. Our proximity to DC and Baltimore makes this area especially vulnerable to incessant development pressures. And every new development, whether residential, civic, or commercial, creates significant stress on our already fragile environment. Parcels as small as one half acre are important to preserving the quality of our environment. Shoreline, woodlands, farmland, slopes and ravines, and beaches and ponds are all key natural resources suitable for protection through an easement. Every bit of woodland, every ravine, every marsh lost; every shoreline disrupted; every bit of open space that becomes a roadway, parking lot, or building - all of these changes lead to increased nitrogen and toxins in our water; loss of marine, wildlife and bird habitat; increased levels of carbon dioxide in our air; increased need for stormwater and sewage management; destruction of our ecological system and viewsheds; and, increased costs to all of us! Frankly, the most sensible, effective and cost-efficient thing we can do to protect the environment for ourselves and those who will come after us is to preserve our undeveloped land -- every acre of it. Once the natural attributes of our area are lost, they are gone forever. In addition the Scenic Rivers Land Trust provides: . Stewardship for the perpetual care and management of easements. . Speaker services for community and educational groups . Educational activities for landowners and community groups . Special topic seminars for professional groups . Hikes, boat trips and other nature activities for everyone . GEMS, the newsletter of the Scenic Rivers Land Trust . A public educational web site, www.SRLT.org |
