Profiles and Progress: PROGRESS

Easements Held By The Land Trust Of The Eastern Panhandle

The Land Trust of the Eastern Panhandle completed, either by itself or with one of the Farmland Protection Boards, 20 easements through 2006, protecting a total of 1800 acres.

Berkeley County — As of the end of 2006, the Land Trust held or co-held with the Berkeley Farmland Protection Board, six easements, totaling 614 acres. The list included an easement of 70 acres of pasture, a spring, watercress ponds and five homes – three of them historic -- donated to the Land Trust in 1997, permanently conserving land that was part of the original land grant conveyed to the Harlan family by Lord Fairfax. In 2004, the Land Trust added two easements totaling 210 acres jointly held with the Berkeley County FPB and two easements totaling 196 acres that were straight donations to the Land Trust. In 2005 it added another 138 acres of farmland close to I-81, in an easement jointly held with the Berkeley County FPB

Morgan County — The two easements held in Morgan County date to 1998 and 2000, before the creation of the Farmland Protection Boards. They total 150 acres and contain oak woods, streams and open meadows, with excellent habitat for wildlife. One of the easements adjoins a large state holding, Sleepy Creek Wildlife Management Area.

Jefferson County — As of the end of 2006, the Land Trust held 12 easements in Jefferson County, totaling 1,036 acres, all jointly held with the Jefferson County FPB. Five of these, benefited from funding from the American Battlefield Protection Program of the National Park Service, received through the Civil War Preservation Trust. They protect 301 acres of farmland along the route used by Confederate forces on their way to and from the 1862 Battle of Antietam in nearby Maryland. Several have historic views, and three of the easements lie in the area of the Battle of Shepherdstown. Of the seven other Jefferson County easements, which total 730 acres of farmland. six benefited from funding from the FPB; the fourth was a straight donation.

Details of these easements are contained in the issues of the Land Trust Newsletter, Landscapes, contained elsewhere on this website

Easements And Activities in Process

$1.04 Million Secured for Civil War Battlefield Sites

In 2003, the Civil War Preservation Trust arranged for $1,040,000 in funding for acquisition of Civil War-related conservation easements in Jefferson County, with the Land Trust to act as implementor. The money, which comes from the National Park Service under the American Battlefield Protection Program, must be matched by Farmland Protection Board funds or by the donation of the landowner. By the end of 2006, the Land Trust and the Jefferson County Farmland Protection board had concluded five easements under this program, protecting 301 acres, with one significant one still in negotiation and the possibility of additional funds if significant Civil War sites are found. The property owners will continue to enjoy use of their land for agricultural or any other uses that do not detract from the scenic and historic values being preserved. Donations by the property owners to the Land Trust ensure the perpetual monitoring of these easements at no cost to the Farmland Protection Board or Jefferson County. The participation of the Farmland Protection Board on these rural properties ensures that they will also receive the low, agricultural tax assessment rate in the future. No development can occur on these lands.

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