Agreement permanently restricts development on Berlin-area property
An aerial view of the 186-acre property outside Berlin that will now be shielded from development under the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, or MALPF.
Owners of a 186-acre farm and woodland property outside Berlin have placed their land under a permanent agricultural easement, adding to a growing block of Worcester County farmland that will remain off-limits to subdivision and development.
The state’s purchase of the Queponco Farms property, located near Basket Switch Road, was coordinated through the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation, or MALPF.
Property owner Mike Sirman said the easement on his property will protect not just his land but will contribute to the larger ecosystem of the Newport Bay watershed.
“We have a unique opportunity to influence the future of our region,” he said in a statement. “I encourage fellow farmers and landowners to consider the benefits of MALPF and similar programs. These initiatives offer financial incentives and technical support, making it easier to protect our agricultural heritage. By working together, we can foster a community that prioritizes sustainable practices and conservation.”
When a landowner sells an easement through MALPF, they’re not selling the land itself. Rather, the state is buying the right to prevent development – a restriction that’s attached to the deed, binding future owners.
Just wait-the liberal a-holes in power in Maryland will screw them over and say they HAVE to make a “solar panel farm” .