Miles of Shoreline Set to Be Preserved

O'Malley to Buy 9,200 Acres in State

For centuries, the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus earned money for its ministries by renting out land to tobacco farmers and others in Southern Maryland. Then the tobacco industry died, Washington's suburbs swelled, the Jesuit priest population aged and the land became more valuable than the rent.

But the Jesuits did not want to sell their large parcels of rural, undeveloped land to just anyone. Then state officials came along and offered to buy and protect it.

Gov. Martin O'Malley announced plans Wednesday to spend $72 million to acquire more than 9,200 acres from the Jesuits and an Eastern Shore family. The land stretches through St. Mary's, Charles, Cecil and Worcester counties and contains more than 20 miles of shoreline -- coveted property in the ever-growing Washington region.

State officials said they intend to protect the land from development and convert it into open public spaces, such as trails, parks, beaches and ecological preserves. Environmental advocates said the conservation effort will help prevent development-related storm-water runoff from further polluting the Chesapeake Bay.

The property acquisitions, which await approval by the state Board of Public Works, will be funded by the state's land preservation fund and federal money.

The Jesuits have owned four parcels of land in St. Mary's, Charles, Cecil and Worcester counties since their members arrived in Maryland in the early 1600s. The woodlands, wetlands, meadows and waters in the areas were frequented by Capt. John Smith, Native American communities and early Catholic settlers, said Jim Casciotti, socius, or assistant to the director, of the Maryland Province.

Now, the $57 million earned by the Jesuits from the sale of the nearly 4,500 acres will go toward covering the health-care expenses for their aging clergy.

"We're honor-bound that if we do pass along the land, we do it responsibly," Casciotti said. "It's also good for us to take care of our men."

The Southern Maryland properties include the shoreline along Port Tobacco Creek at Cedar Point in Charles, the St. Inigoes peninsula south of St. Mary's City and the waterfront along Breton and St. Clements Bay, also in St. Mary's.

O'Malley also announced last week the creation of GreenPrint, a Web site (http://www.greenprint.maryland.gov) with an interactive map that shows state land preservation efforts. Users can see conservation areas statewide and zero in on a county or neighborhood. The program could also help counties work together on conservation efforts, the governor said.

Staff writer Lisa Rein contributed to this report.