Sep. 8—The Maryland Board of Public Works last month earmarked $3.14 million in grant funding to preserve a rural legacy area in Frederick County, according to the county's Division of Planning and Permitting.

The Rural Legacy Program is a statewide initiative to protect large tracts of agricultural and forested land that are threatened by development.

The $3.14 million grant will go toward maintaining the Carrollton Manor Rural Legacy Area, according to a press release.

According to the state Department of Natural Resources, the area encompasses 38,265 acres from the Virginia border up past Buckeystown.

Including the land preserved through the state's Rural Legacy Program, the Frederick County Agricultural Land Preservation Program has permanently preserved 71,919 acres.

We are proud to have a program that permanently preserves land in our county," County Executive Jessica Fitzwater said in the press release. "Frederick has such a rich agricultural history and receiving this grant allows us to continue to preserve that history."

Administrators from the county's Land Preservation Program could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

More information on the county's agricultural preservation programs can be found on the county's agricultural preservation web page at frederickcountymd.gov/7980/Agricultural-Preservation.

Maryland's Rural Legacy Areas can be found on the state Department of Natural Resources' website at dnr.maryland.gov/land/pages/rurallegacy/all-rural-legacy-areas.aspx.

— Ceoli Jacoby