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What is Legacy Open Space?

Legacy Open Space (LOS) is a bold, multi-million dollar program that expands on the existing park system with a public/private initiative to protect thousands of acres of exceptional open space lands and heritage resources throughout all of Montgomery County. Click here to review a map summarizing LOS Protection Areas.

What Lands are Considered Exceptional? | What Types of Open Space are Included? | What Properties Have Already Been Identified?

What Lands are Considered Exceptional?

Open space lands of exceptional County-wide significance are best defined by the conditions that elevate them to "rise above the rest." Sites must have at least one of the following qualities:

  1. The Resource has particular countywide, regional, or national significance in terms of:

    a) known or potential habitats for rare, threatened, or endangered species;
    b) a "best example" of terrestrial or aquatic community;
    c) unique or unusual ecological communities;
    d) large, diverse areas with a variety of habitats,
    e) exceptional viewscapes, architectural character or historic association.

  2. Critical to the successful implementation of public policy such as the protection of the Agricultural Reserve and public water supply.
  3. Part of a "critical mass" of like resources that perform an important environmental or heritage function.
  4. A significant contribution to one or more heritage themes.
  5. Provides human or ecological connectivity between significant park, natural or historic areas and/or corridors.
  6. Helps to buffer, and thereby protect other significant resources.
  7. Represents an opportunity for broadening interpretation and public understanding of natural and heritage resources.
  8. The Resource provides a significant opportunity to

    a) increase access to public open space in communities with high population densities,
    b) to protect scarce open space in an urbanized community, or
    c) to improve the character of an existing urban boulevard of countywide or regional significance.

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What Types of Open Space are Included?

Legacy Open Space recommendations are organized into six Resource Categories:

1. Protection of Environmentally Sensitive Natural Resources
  • Unique or exemplary natural communities, including habitats for rare, threatened and endangered or watchlist species and/or those based on unique geological formations.
    Large areas of good quality, contiguous forest or large areas with a diversity of habitats that support a diversity of plants and wildlife.
  • Land well suited to buffer sensitive resources or for use as a wildlife/human use corridor between significant natural areas.
2. Protection of Water Supplies
  • The property contains land in the Patuxent Primary Management Area (1/4 mile from the Patuxent mainstem and 1/8 mile from all tributaries).
  • Properties within priority subwatersheds identified by Countywide Stream Protection Strategy, the Source Water Protection Program, or other studies indicating vulnerable areas.
  • Properties (preferably greater than 10 acres) or groups of properties containing or adjacent to streams and adjacent to parkland.
3. Conservation of Heritage Resources
  • Underground Railroad/Quaker Cluster
  • Farming History Cluster
  • Industrial Heritage Cluster
  • Rail Community Cluster
4. Protection of Greenway Connections
  • Gaps in major natural surface trail corridors identified by the Countywide Park Trails Plan
5. Protection of Farmland and Rural Open Spaces
  • Areas on the edges of the Agricultural Reserve
  • Active Farmland that could be protected through Agricultural Easements
6. Protection of Urban Open Spaces
  • Key open spaces along major boulevards
  • Vacant land within existing urban neighborhoods
  • Important urban natural areas, especially if they promote interconnection of the urban green infrastructure.

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What Properties Have Already Been Identified?

A summary map shows the properties that have been identified so far in the search for Legacy Open Space eligible properties. Those highlighted in bold below have been identified by the County Council as priority projects and are included in the budget. The key below lists the sites by open space element and the numbers are repeated on the map.

1. Protection of Sensitive Natural Resources
1.1 Serpentine Barrens
1.2 Bucklodge Forest
1.3 Hoyles Mill Diabase Area
1.4 River Road Shale Barrens
1.5 Hoyles Mill Diabase Forest Area (South of White Ground Road)
1.6 Limestone Ecological Corridor
1.7 Hoyles Mill Diabase Area
1.8 Furnace Branch Headwaters Area
1.9 Barnesville Forest
1.10 Broad Run Stream System
1.11 North Branch Buffer Area
1.12 South Serpentine Area
1.13 Hyattstown Forest Buffer Area

2. Protection of Water Supply
2.1 Lower Hawlings River Subwatershed (Drinking Water Preserve)
2.1 Ednor and Foxes Branch Subwatersheds (Drinking Water Preserve)
2.1 Lower James Creek
2.2 Three Rivers Headwaters Gap
2.2 Haviland Road Gap
2.3 Patuxent Headwater Tributaries
2.3 Reddy Branch
2.3 Haights Branch
2.3 Middle Mt. Zion Tributary

3. Protection of Heritage Resources
3.1 Holland House and Store (Red Door Store) 16400 Layhill Road
3.2 Auburn 17617 Meetinghouse Road
3.3 Harewood 17600 Meetinghouse Road
3.4 Edgewood 16101 Oak Hill Road
3.5 Greenwood 21315 Georgia Avenue
3.6 White/Carlin Farm
3.7 Darby House/Store
3.8 Land adjacent to Hyattstown
3.9 Friends Advice
3.10 Wallace Poole Farm
3.11 Hilliard Farm
3.12 Solomon Simpson Farm
3.13 Warren M.E. Church
3.14 J.H. Cashell Farm
3.15 Loughborough House
3.16 Carroll Place in Kensington
3.17 Capitol View Park
3.19 National Institute of Dry Cleaning

4. Protection of Trail Connectivity
4.1 Northwest Branch Trail Corridor
4.2 Rock Creek/Seneca Creek Connection
4.3 Seneca Greenway Connection
4.4 Three Rivers Trail (Patuxent Headwaters)
4.5 Patuxent River Trail Corridor (Gap between the reservoirs)

5. Protection of Farmland and Rural Open Spaces
5.1 Areas west of Georgia Avenue and north of Brookeville Road - between the Hawlings River and Reddy Branch
5.2 Areas north of the Damascus Master Plan area within the Patuxent River
5.3 Areas east of Poolesville over to Seneca Creek State Park
5.4 Areas north of the Clarksburg Master Plan, east of Little Bennett Regional Park
5.5 Areas northwest of Laytonsville

6. Protection of Urban Open Spaces
6.1 Bush Property
6.2 Sligo Mill Property
6.3 Wohlfarth Property
6.4 Clarksburg Triangle
6.5 MD 355 Edge Improvements
6.6 Georgia Avenue Edge Improvements
6.7 US 29 Edge Improvements
6.8 Connecticut Avenue Improvements

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