Clifton Factory Property
A Brighter Conservation Future for Great Mills
Leonardtown, Maryland – On the day Isaias hit St. Mary’s County, Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust (PTLT) closed on one of its most significant easements to date —77.51 culturally and naturally significant acres in Great Mills, St. Mary’s County.
PTLT started working early in 2018 with the property’s owners, Bob, Allan and Mike Cecil, to acquire a conservation easement to the Clifton Factory property. Funding came from Program Open Space of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
The property, now protected forever, is located immediately adjacent to the southern end of the St. Mary’s River State Park where the river flows beneath Indian Bridge Rd. It includes land at the confluence at the mainstem of the St. Mary’s River and two of its western branches. Mostly forested, a large portion of the property lies within a Sensitive Species Project Review Area, and much of it is Forest Interior Dwelling Species habitat. Its river sections support freshwater mussels, fish, and macro-invertebrates.
The tract includes significant cultural resources, including pre-colonial and early colonial occupation and industry. This property adjoins the Cecil’s Mill Historic District, a national historic district consisting of Cecil’s Mill, Cecil’s Country Store, the old Cecil home, and Old Holy Face Church. The newly protected land is believed to include sites that played a role in the early mills and factories of Southern Maryland which contributed to the area being named Great Mills. An early colonial potter operated on a portion of the property, using a rare purple clay quarried from the site.
“It’s not often that PTLT has an opportunity to protect such an ecologically and culturally significant tract of land,” said the organization’s president, Frank Allen. “The Cecil brothers showed remarkable patience, given project delays due to the pandemic. I’m appreciative of the many volunteer hours of work by Bob Prine of PTLT; Also thanks to Program Open Space’s Cheryl Wise, as well as Michele Snyder and Bill McKissick of the Dugan, McKissick & Longmore law firm to make this project work.”
One of most popular volunteer activities!
Easement Monitoring Workshop this Fall
Do you enjoy exploring the great outdoors?
Are you interested in visiting rural and agricultural properties in southern Maryland? If the answer is YES then you may be interested in becoming a volunteer easement monitor for the Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust (PTLT). PTLT is a non-profit organization that holds easements on privately owned properties that legally restrict intense development on undeveloped and farm properties while permitting traditional uses. Each property must be visited annually as part of the terms of the easement to ensure adherence to the easement terms. The easement monitor contacts the property owner independently to arrange a visit at a mutually convenient time and then documents their findings in a simple report.
A training session for prospective volunteers will be held at Summerseat Farm at 26655 Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville MD 20659 on Saturday October 12, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. If interested, please email fletch51@verizon.net with “PTLT training” in the subject line and advise the number of attendees. More information on the organization may be found at www.ptlt.org.
EXPANSION OF HUNTERSVILLE RURAL LEGACY AREA
Leonardtown, Maryland– The Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust is proposing to expand the Huntersville Rural Legacy Area creating the St. Mary’s Greenway of protected forests, farmland, and headwater streams connecting the Patuxent and Potomac River watersheds as they lead to the Chesapeake Bay.
Hemlock Preserve, another PTLT protected land!
A Unique Approach to Land Preservation in Southern Maryland
CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU PETER NEUS!!
Outstanding Fundraising Endeavor!
Thank you Peter Neus and all who contributed to this wonderful fundraising drive that exceeded its goals to support the PTLT, way to go!!
REMOVE A SPOOKY PLANT THIS HALLOWEEN!
It turns out that there is a spooky plant growing along the paths at Myrtle Point Park in St. Mary’s County ...and it needs to go! Come join PTLT on October 31st as we pull out beefsteak plants (Perilla frutescens). This is an invasive plant that may be OK in Asian cooking but is not digestible for the mammals in the park. Perilla frutescens is best pulled in spring, but now is a good time to keep all the seeds from spreading. They can easily be pulled but bring clippers, if pulling is not your thing. Bring your Covid masks (perfect for Halloween), work gloves – and your favorite cutting tools. We will bring light refreshments and bottled water.
We want to be done before the goblins come out so we will work there from 9 AM until noon. Myrtle Point Park is off of Route 4 on the way to the Thomas Johnson bridge. At the traffic light turn onto Patuxent Boulevard and enter the park at the end of the road (24050 Patuxent Boulevard).
Come join the socially distanced fun!!
(Rain date Nov. 1, 2020)
Frank Allen, president of PTLT, and volunteer members attended virtual LTA Rally 2020, which offered an inspiring group of speakers and presentations. Follow link below for more information about this exciting rally!