About this episode

This episode discusses conservation easements and their impact on land value and environmental challenges on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

The Delmarva Peninsula sits between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, two hours from Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC, and it is one of the last relatively undeveloped stretches of the entire eastern megalopolis. It is also the third most vulnerable spot in the country to sea level rise. That combination makes it one of the most interesting places in America to talk about land conservation. National Land Realty agent Sue Hudson and Matthew Heim of the Lower Shore Land Trust join this episode to break down how conservation easements actually work, what they do and do not restrict, and why the reputation they have for locking land away and killing its value is mostly wrong. Matthew explains how his organization has protected 25,000 acres across three Maryland counties, how payments to landowners can run several thousand dollars per acre, and why many easement holders immediately reinvest that capital back into their farming operations. The conversation also goes deep on what is actually happening to this landscape, saltwater intrusion drawing visible lines through crop fields, ghost forests appearing where coastal marshes are advancing inland, and a sinking…

People in this episode

Host: Sue Hudson

Guest: Matthew Heim

Topics covered

• land conservation
• conservation easements
• sea level rise
• agriculture
• environmental impact
• land trust

Keywords

• conservation easements
• land conservation
• sea level rise
• Delmarva Peninsula
• Lower Shore Land Trust
• agricultural impact
• saltwater intrusion
• ghost forests

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Lower Shore Land Trust

Places: Delmarva Peninsula, Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Ocean, Maryland, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington DC

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