St. Mary’s Land Preserved by Easement
More land in St. Mary’s County will be preserved and protected from development well into the future. In November 2016, Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust secured a conservation easement on more than 156 acres in the Mattapany Rural Legacy Area in southern St. Mary’s County.
The land, known as the Dorsey property, fronts on both Route 235 and the Chesapeake Bay. It encompasses tidal and non-tidal wetlands and forest. Securing the easement prevents development on the property — other than the possibility of one house and auxiliary structure — and works toward preserving the rural nature and ecological values of Southern Maryland.
“The Dorsey property is located adjacent to the 1,020 acre, state-owned Elms Property, so the ecosystems of both properties remain connected and function better,” Frank Allen, president of Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust, said. Wetland and shoreline on the property offer a broad range of habitat for birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians, especially those that need larger tracts of land for their life cycles. Wetlands that are protected by forested buffers filter the water that flows across them, leaving cleaner water to flow into streams and the bay. Large tracts of forest also help absorb carbon dioxide and pollutants from the atmosphere and provide shade, which cools the air.
The money used for this purchase came from Maryland Department of Natural Resources Rural Legacy Program, St. Mary’s County government, and the Navy Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program.
“The property acts as a safeguard for the Atlantic Test Range, keeping incompatible land uses further from Navy activities,” Mr. Allen said.
The land is owned by Philip H. Dorsey III, Mary Devlin Dorsey, and Dixie Lee Dorsey. By allowing the conservation easement, owners gave up some of their rights to make changes but still control the property and can transfer or sell it. Easement restrictions will go along with the property if it is sold. The PTLT will monitor the site for compliance with the easement agreements. Phil Dorsey has secured conservation easements for three other properties he owns.
“I think it’s the right thing to do. These easements are the best way to preserve the full value of [priority preservation] property,” Mr. Dorsey said.
Cindy Greb of Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development was the administrative contractor for the easement, and Bill McKissick of Dugan, McKissick and Longmore served as attorney.
If property owners would like to learn more about preserving their land, they can contact Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust Executive Director Andrew Garde at 410-533-0042 or [email protected] or Frank Allen at 301-862-3421 or [email protected]. Anyone can support the PTLT mission by becoming a Friend. Visit PTLT’s website for more information.
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