County Approves New Snow Hill Conservation Easement; Bertino, Elder Express Concerns

SNOW HILL – A pair of county commissioners last week expressed concern over the growing number of conservation easements in Worcester County.

During what looked to be a routine consideration of an easement for a 106-acre property in Snow Hill, Commissioners Ted Elder and Chip Bertino said they thought officials needed to take a closer look at the issue. Bertino said 29 percent of Worcester County’s land was already protected with easements.

“How do we know how much is too much?” he said.

The commissioners were asked by staff to approve a conservation easement through the Coastal Bays Rural Legacy Area (RLA) program for 106 acres in Snow Hill owned by Hugh and Jennifer Cropper and Edna Strayer. The $231,009 cost of the easement would be funded through the county’s Coastal Bays RLA grant. According to the county’s website, the funds made available through the Maryland Rural Legacy Program are meant to protect the state’s undeveloped landscapes. In 2006, the county set a goal to protect 3,000 to 4,000 acres in the ensuing decade.

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