On March 10, 2020, Elizabeth Hill was sworn in to begin her term serving on the Maryland Agriculture Land Preservation Board of Trustees representing the Maryland Agriculture Commission. Ms. Hill has represented Forestry on the Commission for several years. She is also the Executive Director of the Maryland Forests Association, serves as Vice-Chairperson of the Dorchester County Zoning Board of Appeals, and is a Land Advisor at The Land Group, a real estate firm that specializes in the sale of farm and timberland. She is excited about this new role and feels her experience will bring value to the Board. "I have learned a tremendous amount about the different segments of agriculture by serving on the commission, I look forward to representing their interests, and as always want forestry to have a seat at the table. Preserving working forests is just as important as preserving working farms,” said Hill.
The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation is administered by a thirteen-member Board of Trustees, which includes the State's Comptroller, Treasurer, Secretary of Agriculture, and Secretary of Planning, all of whom serve as "ex officio" members. The other nine members of the Board serve "at-large" and represent various regions of the State. All members are appointed by the Governor and serve a term of four years. At least five of the at-large members are farmer representatives; the Board has representation from the Maryland Agricultural Commission, the Maryland Farm Bureau, the Maryland State Grange, and the Maryland Young Farmers' Advisory Board.
Responsibilities of the Foundation's Board of Trustees include-
-Disseminating information to farmland owners and other Maryland citizens;
- Providing assistance and coordination to the twenty-three Agricultural Land Preservation Advisory Boards. ---- -Promulgating program rules, regulations, and procedures.
-Reviewing and approving easement applications; and
-Acquiring by purchase or donation, agricultural land preservation easements on productive agricultural land.
Ms. Hill will begin attending meetings in April. The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) was one of the first created in the United States and has become one of the nation's leaders in agricultural land preservation. Created by the General Assembly in 1977, MALPF purchases agricultural preservation easements that forever restrict development on prime farmland and woodland and has permanently preserved land in each of Maryland's 23 counties, representing a public investment of over $682 million. At the end of FY 2016, MALPF has purchased easements on a cumulative total of 2,218 properties, permanently preserving about 300,916 acres.
If you simply wish to know more about the program, visit-
https://mda.maryland.gov/malpf/Pages/default.aspx
