Catoctin Land Trust:
Protecting the Blue Ridge and Piedmont's Rural Landscapes

Submitted by Jim Reed,
Catoctin Land Trust
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The Catoctin Land Trust (CLT) was established as a local non-profit land
preservation organization in 2000. 

It is the mission of the CLT to preserve and protect the rural landscape
and cultural history of the Blue Ridge and Piedmont regions of Central
Maryland, Northern Virginia, Northern West Virginia and Southern
Pennsylvania. 

Since its founding, CLT has protected 26 properties in this region from
development through deed restrictions and conservation easements.  This is
nearly 2,500 acres of land that is protected forever and will never be
developed and destroyed by sprawl.   

In the Emmitsburg area alone, the Catoctin Land Trust has protected over
a thousand acres on 11 different properties.  One of the most notable
properties the CLT has protected near Emmitsburg is the college Mountain
Property above Mount Saint Mary's which was being developed as a ski
resort prior to CLT's involvement.  This property was
purchased through the efforts of CLT for about two million dollars.  In the
transaction, the CLT and the Maryland Environmental Trust placed
conservation easements on the land to ensure its perpetual protection
for future generations, and the Town of Emmitsburg assumed ownership.

When considered together with the adjoining lands owned by the Mount and
the Town's Watershed lands, the Mountain property is part of a 1,600 acre
protected area that will ensure clean drinking water and quality
wildlife habitat for generations to come. 

The CLT has also been involved in protecting several other significant
parcels of land in the area, including nearly 500 acres that connects
the Frederick City Watershed and Cunningham Falls State Park and
numerous large farm parcels.  Those lands provide a critical corridor
for endangered species of wildlife, connectivity between protected
government lands, and a measure of protection for water quality in the
headwater streams that benefit all citizens of this region.  

CLT works with willing land owners to help them voluntarily protect
their lands for future generations. In some instances, the
Trust is able to arrange for funding to purchase conservation
restrictions from the owners, and in most circumstances the owner
is eligible for significant federal, state and local tax benefits and
abatements.  

To learn more about the Trust you can visit their website at
www.catoctinlandtrust.org or contact Jim Reed at 301-668-4028 or
info@catoctinlandtrust.org.