Eastern Shore Land Conservancy

10/08/2026

One of the best conservation strategies is building great communities.
We're excited to see the Town of Easton launch its new Complete Streets public engagement platform and invite residents to help shape the future of local transportation. Complete Streets means designing public roads to safely serve everyone, including pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, drivers, and people with disabilities.

Public roads are public lands. In communities like Easton, maintaining traffic flow is important, but our streets should also help people safely walk to school, bike to work, visit local businesses, and connect with parks and neighborhoods.

For decades, transportation and land use decisions have often prioritized moving cars as efficiently as possible. Complete Streets offers an opportunity to create safer, more connected communities while supporting the walkable, people-oriented development patterns that have historically made Eastern Shore towns successful.
ESLC encourages residents to share their ideas through the survey, interactive map, and photo submission tools.

Learn more and participate: https://engage.eastonmd.gov/complete-streets/

10/08/2026

Confused about what ESLC does exactly? Listen to Steve Kline's recent interview on WHCP! On this episode of Radio Chesapeake, ESLC President & CEO Steve Kline explains conservation easements, including the successes, the complications, and what permanent protection actually means. https://www.whcp.org/show/shore-stories/2026-10-05/eastern-shore-land-conservancy-whats-it-all-about

10/07/2026

As Kent County looks ahead to updating its Comprehensive Plan during the next County Commissioner term, residents, local leaders, and commissioner candidates are invited to attend a public forum exploring the opportunities and challenges that will shape the county's future.

ESLC, Kent Conservation and Preservation Alliance, and Washington College will host the Kent County Comprehensive Plan Forum on Tuesday, October 27, at 6:00 p.m. in Hynson Lounge at Washington College.

The event will provide an opportunity for the community to hear from planning professionals and policy experts about how comprehensive plans guide decisions on growth, agriculture, housing, infrastructure, conservation, economic development, and community character. As Kent County prepares to undertake its next Comprehensive Plan update, the forum is designed to help residents and elected officials better understand the planning process and the long-term implications of land use decisions.

ESLC President & CEO Steve Kline will moderate a panel featuring experts with extensive experience in land use planning, resource conservation, and local government policy:

Dr. Loretta Lynch, Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Maryland

Gail Owings, Executive Director of Stories of the Chesapeake and former Kent County Planning Director

David Dahlstrom, Upper Eastern Shore Regional Planner, Maryland Department of Planning

Tom Leigh, Local Government Specialist with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and member of the Queen Anne's County Planning Commission

The event is free and open to the public.

Register at eslc.org/events

10/07/2026

95% of Eastern Shore residents from four counties believe protecting farmland and open space is important if a new Bay Bridge increases development pressure on the Eastern Shore.

The state has decided its preferred location and design for Maryland’s new Bay Bridge. But it hasn’t decided how to address the increased development pressure a new bridge could bring to the Eastern Shore.

This fall, ESLC commissioned a new scientific poll about the new Bay Bridge that was answered by 1,250 likely Eastern Shore voters from Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot counties.

85% of those polled support a dedicated land preservation fund to protect farmland, forests and other undeveloped lands as a new Bay Bridge is built.

For more than a year, ESLC has been working with Eastern Shore counties, conservation organizations, and state agencies to advance a dedicated land preservation fund as part of the state’s response to these potential impacts. We are advocating for an investment that reflects the scale of the project and the land identified as vulnerable, while complementing—not replacing—Maryland’s existing land preservation programs.

The bridge is a historic investment. Protecting the Eastern Shore should be, too.

Learn more about ESLC’s poll at eslc.org/news.

The scientific poll was sponsored by the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and conducted by Susquehanna Polling and Research, with interviews of 1,250 likely voters from Caroline, Kent, Queen Anne’s, and Talbot County between September 7-20, 2026. The margin of error is +/- 2.77% at the 95% confidence level. A complete report of poll results can be found on the ESLC website: https://www.eslc.org/resources/.

10/07/2026

ESLC has permanently protected its 350th conservation easement—Leslie and Vincent M. Raimond’s 62-acre haven of forest, wetland, and grassland. The easement is a critical keystone in a contiguous block of more than 1,200 protected acres in Kent County.

Follow ESLC for the latest conservation wins on the Eastern Shore. And head to our site to read more about Toad Hall’s beaver habitat, protected shoreline, wetlands, outdoor art sculptures, and Leslie and Vincent M. Raimond’s Eastern Shore conservation legacy. Visit eslc.org/news.

Home of historic Toad Hall, the property is primarily forest, providing extensive riparian habitat for wildlife (especially forest interior dwelling species of birds) and actively benefiting the water quality of Still Pond Creek.

Original outdoor sculptures began to punctuate the property’s paths, and a collection of 18th century farmhouses was assembled into a sprawling manor house, Toad Hall, named after the fictional home of Mr. Toad in Kenneth Grahame’s 1908 novel The Wind in the Willows. “Vincent improved the land by letting it regenerate itself: the fields, waters, and woods were essentially left alone to heal naturally, welcoming many birds, fish, and creatures of all sorts,” reflected his wife Leslie. “Trails and meadows were cleared to facilitate walks and enjoyment of the place. We associated this story-book beauty with a favorite book from childhood, The Wind in the Willows.”

Read more: eslc.org/news

10/07/2026

https://marketsherald.com/eastern-shore-poll-finds-63-back-a-new-bay-bridge-95-want-farmland-protected/

Sixty-three percent of likely voters in four Eastern Shore counties support a new Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and 95 percent say farmland and open-space protection should be part of the project, a poll released Oct. 5 by the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy found. Among supporters, 72 percent named better....

10/07/2026

💧Your voice matters in the Langford Creek watershed💧

The Langford Watershed Alliance (LWA) is a partnership of local organizations and community members working together to improve water quality, ecological health, and quality of life throughout the Langford Creek watershed.

The LWA wants to hear from you about the issues affecting your community, including stormwater flooding, shoreline erosion, failing septic systems, and elevated bacteria levels in our waterways.

Join us for a Langford Watershed Alliance Town Hall on Monday, October 19, from 5:30–7:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

This is an opportunity to:
Share your experiences and concerns
Learn about available resources
Connect with local organizations and neighbors
Explore solutions to challenges facing the watershed

Refreshments will be provided, and childcare is available upon request. Please note any childcare or accommodation needs when you register.

Questions? Contact Maegan White at [email protected].