Leonardtown, Maryland 4/14/2024 release: With the addition of 413 acres in mid-February Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust has closed on its newest conservation easement.
The property belonging to the Greenwell Catholic Trust on Jones Wharf Road in the Huntersville Rural Legacy Area contains numerous wooded tracts and abuts tidal water and open waters at the mouth of Cole Creek on the Patuxent River. Farm fields account for nearly 40 acres of the tract while the rest of the property is forested. Open nontidal and tidal wetlands occupy 14-plus acres. Approximately 15 acres of the forested portion is part of larger block of riparian forest. Several woodland trails along ridges and side slopes allow hunting and waterfront access.
In mapping the area’s hardwood forest and wetlands, Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources determined the Greenwell tract as likely forest interior dweller habitat.
The DNR gave it at Tier 4 level status within the Biodiversity Conservation network of the Natural Heritage Program, which means it’s of significant conservation value.
In 2000, the state agency had mapped the wetland riparian portions and concluded them necessary for networking large vital blocks of forest and woodlands, called “hubs,” as part of its Green Infrastructure assessment program.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of the conservation of such a large block of undeveloped land with large contiguous blocks of woodlands—largely free of invasive plants—and of wetlands,” says PTLT President Frank Allen. “With the completion of this easement PTLT has now protected over 10 square miles.”
The mission of the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust is to sustain the region’s biodiversity and water resources through a network of protected landscapes. The organization recognizes that forest and farmland and the region’s unique historic and scenic character are vital to a healthy economy and citizens’ sense of well-being. PTLT acquires land and conservation easements by purchase or donation. It has conserved more than 6,400 acres of land in perpetuity. For more information, visit www.PTLT.org
