scenic maryland last chance

SUMMARY
This seven-mile segment of Scenic Route 40 and its surrounding viewshed in eastern Allegany County make up one of the most visually enjoyable and well-preserved portions of the Maryland Historic National Road Scenic Byway. Originally part of a privately funded turnpike that connected Baltimore with the beginning of the National Road in Cumberland, Maryland, this stretch of scenic roadway follows one of the most historically and culturally significant transportation routes in the United States. While it enjoys historic recognition, however, the designation does not carry any protections. In fact, development plans projected over the next two decades threaten to clear woodlands adjoining the Green Ridge State Forest to make way for thousands of housing units and a shopping center. This, in turn, will place traffic pressure on the Byway and require alterations that would erode the Scenic Route's historic value and visual integrity.

For more information: Susan Trail, 301-478-2259

SUMMARY
This charming, turn-of-the-century commercial district in the center of Baltimore's first and largest historic district faces imminent threat from developers who wish to erect towering 230-foot high residential buildings that would jut far above the neighborhoodÕs 19th century brick townhouses, historic Belvedere Hotel and even the Washington Monument. At issue is a recently proposed urban renewal ordinance granting new height allowances, despite opposition from the majority of the communityÕs business and property owners and local and national historic preservation groups. The erection of such tall buildings in the midst of this historic corridor would permanently mar the view of nearby Mount Vernon Place and visually disrupt the character of this carefully restored and nationally recognized historic area.

For more information: Jason Curtis
Mount Vernon-Belvedere Association
410-727-0066

SUMMARY
The safe-houses and routes of the Underground Railroad running through Frederick County constitute the best-known collection of Underground Railroad sites in Maryland today, yet few enjoy any official protection. The Potomac-to-Doubs Route, running along a three-mile stretch of gently rolling Piedmont farmland, teeters on the edge of despoilment from a variety of threats including residential, recreational and industrial development. Though portions of this route enjoy numerous historic designations Ð including one farm listed as a Frederick County Landmark and two homes listed in the Maryland Historical Trust inventory Ð efforts to develop the area through the construction of power stations and towers, subdivisions and even a golf course continue to require an active defense. Preservationists hope that the strength of aggregate designations will build a layer of protection around the area and assist in repelling the onslaught of development efforts.

For more information:
Peter H. Michael,
301.874.0235

SUMMARY
The corridor encompassing the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and the Potomac River Ð the wildest, most natural river running through a major metropolitan area anywhere in the world Ð forms one of MarylandÕs most significant and diverse natural landscapes. Although the area enjoys local, state and federal protections, weak regulations, inconsistent enforcement and insensitive stewardship of adjacent lands threaten to pockmark its natural scenic beauty. Skyrocketing property values, frequent turnover in land ownership and efforts to maximize values by cutting down forests and constructing oversized luxury homes are slowly hacking away at these breathtaking landscapes, threatening a Òdeath by a thousand cuts.Ó New and stricter buffer protection laws, increased enforcement, improved communications between government agencies, additional funding to maintain public spaces, and better public awareness and education are needed to preserve this national treasure.

For more information: Jennifer Schill
The Potomac Conservancy, 301-608-1188

SUMMARY
Chincoteague Bay, known to the rest of the world for the famous wild ponies that roam the island at its southernmost tip, occupies a narrow ribbon of water between northeast Virginia and southeast Maryland. A wild, largely undeveloped region dotted with tiny islands, marshes, beaches and hunting and fishing camps, it offers a wealth of scenic beauty and diverse habitat. However, like many once-remote places, Chincoteague Bay is starting to gain the attention of developers. And because the area is unaccustomed to this type of activity, few protections are in place to ensure proper erosion controls, natural drainage patterns, low-impact development practices or the preservation of open spaces. Before development of these pristine shorelines becomes a done deal, it is imperative that protections be included in county and regional comprehensive plans.

SUMMARY
Well into the 20th century, tobacco shaped the landscape of rural St. MaryÕs County. This once-important crop was the mainstay of the local economy until implementation of the Tobacco Buyout in 1999. The familiar site of tobacco barns lining the roadways and straddling ridges lent the area a unique character that many would like to preserve. But this county, like many others, faces the pressures of a rapidly growing population. As development encroaches, scenic landscapes give way to residential and xommercial growth. Programs that seek to preserve agricultural lands fail to recognize the preservation of scenic landscaping as a priority, so the county must pursue remedies through support for agri-tourism and alternative agriculture practices, funding for the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Fund and a transfer of development rights program.

For more information: Teresa Wilson, 301-475-4200 X 1549

SUMMARY
Bucktown Village, historically recognized as the birthplace of Harriet Tubman, retains much of the same 19th century village character it possessed during TubmanÕs childhood. The village center, nearby churches and lands of the Brodess Plantation were then and remain now important components of the local African-American community. But today rapid development threatens the integrity of this area, as Dorchester County and nearby Cambridge, like much of the Eastern shore, witness a growing
population and proposals for building thousands of new homes. The county faces many challenges as it tries to protect the scenic beauty and historic nature of this village in the midst of inescapable growth.

For more information:
Jennifer Pollard, 410-827-9756 X155,
Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and
Natalie Chabot
at Heart of Chesapeake County Heritage Area
410-228-1000.