04/03/2026
"Last year, in an effort to balance the state’s budget and fill a deficit of over $1 billion, Maryland lawmakers passed legislation that will put $25 million of state land preservation money for each of the next four years toward other needs, such as the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a 10-year education reform plan."...
"Kristin Kirkwood, the executive director of the land-use nonprofit the Harford Land Trust, called the funding cuts a “huge blow” for parkland acquisition. She said the state funding lent a stability to preservation efforts and the reduction creates even more uncertainty amid a volatile real estate market.
“I think there is a sense of public trust to have some funding that is predictable because if it’s just a crystal ball for when there is funding coming, that’s not very helpful,” Kirkwood said."
Due to an annual $25 million cut in state funding, Harford County land preservation projects may lag, officials say.
