I arrived at the Fedak property along Manahan Road in early April with Don Briggs of the Catoctin Land Trust. It was the perfect day for a site visit with an azure blue sky, white puffy clouds and a slight breeze from the west. Mr. Fedak greeted Don and me warmly and his commanding presence let me know he is a man with a mission. It seemed that our invitation to discuss accepting a conservation easement was just another step in his vision for his mountain property.

The property sits atop Catoctin Mountain, adjacent to both Catoctin Mountain Park and Cunningham Falls State Park. Mr. Fedak came to know the area in the 1950s when he came to Camp David while working in the military at the White House under President Eisenhower. Peter and his late wife Susan bought their first parcel in 1971. They loved the area and didn't want to see it change, so as neighboring parcels became available they made an effort to purchase them.  The property now has grown to nearly 190 acres.

As we toured the property, it was evident that Mr. Fedak had thought deeply about the importance of place and the legacy he wanted to leave. He spoke affectionately of his wife’s love of the land and their desire to see it protected forever. Over the next several months we worked together to develop an easement agreement which suited Mr. Fedak, Maryland Environmental Trust, and Catoctin Land Trust. We wanted to allow for maintaining Mr. Fedak’s vision and for protecting the valuable conservation assets of the property including not only the scenic qualities but also the agricultural and forested lands as well as the unique habitat for plants and wildlife.

The easement maintains the ability to use the property for agriculture and preserves the forest cover. Water quality is protected by requiring a 100 foot buffer to Little Hunting Creek be retained. The forested area and rare wetland area are protected, which in turn protects the habitat of several unusual natural communities that fall within a short stretch along Hunting Creek.

The easement, which was signed and recorded in December, provides a boost for land preservation and water quality in the Catoctin Mountains. It helps to ensure that the Fedaks’ vision for keeping the property as farmland and forest forever will manifest in reality.

Maryland Environmental Trust is a statewide land trust that was established in 1967 “to conserve, improve, stimulate, and perpetuate the aesthetic, natural, health, welfare, scenic, and cultural qualities of the environment, including but not limited to the land, water, air, wildlife, scenic qualities, and open spaces.” For more information visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/met/.

Catoctin Land Trust, Inc. is an all volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit organization that was established in 2000. It is the Mission of the Catoctin Land Trust to preserve and protect the rural landscape and cultural history of the Blue Ridge and Piedmont regions in Central Maryland, Northern Virginia, Northern West Virginia and Southern Pennsylvania. For more information visit http://www.catoctinlandtrust.org/.