In This Issue

• Network Updates
• Incase You Missed It
• Upcoming Meetings
• Trainings, Workshops, & Conferences
• Recommended Reads
• Funding Opportunities
• Jobs & Internships
• About the DRCN

NRCS offers technical and financial assistance to restore previously drained farmland or woodland into a profitable and environmentally beneficial wetland through its easement program. The Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) component offers funding for permanent easements and 30-year-term easements to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands while maximizing wildlife benefits.

ACEP-WRE helps landowners restore former wetlands with a history of agriculture that have been degraded by grazing or other uses. Landowners receive monetary compensation while retaining ownership of the land. Offered land may be eligible if it is in an Agricultural Preservation District if it is not enrolled in any other farm preservation easement. Eligible land includes (but is not limited to):

• Forest, woodland, and other lands where the hydrology has been significantly degraded and can be restored.
• Farmed wetlands or wetland pasture
• Previously converted cropland, hayland, and pasture (crop fields that were once considered wetlands before significant changes to the hydrology)
• Land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program

Landowners are paid per acre for their WRE easement. For permanent easements, NRCS pays 100 percent of the easement purchase cost and 100 percent of the restoration costs. For 30-year easements, NRCS pays 75 percent of the easement purchase cost and 75 percent of the restoration costs. The purchase cost paid to the participant is based on a Geographic Area Rate Cap determined annually. Applicants may request to receive a lower compensation amount.

For more information, contact Elena Stewart, Easement Program Manager by emailing elena.stewart@usda.gov.



The Lower Shore Land Trust is excited to announce its next Executive Director Matt Heim, who will begin February 1st.

Heim brings nearly 20 years of non-profit experience to Lower Shore Land Trust, the majority of which was based in local environmental initiatives. Heim says: "In many ways, this is a dream position for me. I love the Eastern Shore, I love its history, I love its natural beauty and wild places. I'm honored to be in a position where I can work with such dedicated people and contribute to the conservation and restoration of this place I feel fortunate to call home. The organization and legacy that Kate, the Land Trust staff, board, and volunteers, supporters and landowners have built is incredible. The Lower Shore is better because the Lower Shore Land Trust exists and I'm looking forward to helping shepherd the next chapter in its history."

Read more about Matt on our website at www.lowershorelandtrust.org.

It’s going to be a great year for trails on the Eastern Shore, as we build on the successes of the Eastern Shore Trail Network Steering Committee from 2023. 

With help from the National Park Service Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, our goals are to create a regional trail map, expand outreach and support, and create an Eastern Shore Trail Coalition. We are thrilled to announce we have completed our first goal in partnership with the Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative, the Mid-Shore Regional Council, and the Rural Maryland Council. 

This new map shows existing and planned trails on the Eastern Shore, as well as railroad routes for potential rails-to-trails projects. It also shows our Vision Map that trail advocates created at our initial workshop in April 2022. It is our hope that this map can help and inspire local governments and advocates to develop more trails to join this growing network. But we are not done yet. In 2024, we will expand our already strong local support with county and municipal governments. This will fuel our ultimate goal of creating an Eastern Shore Trail Coalition that will be a valuable resource to help our local governments, specifically in planning and fundraising, and can continue to inspire and advocate for more trails. 



This year is already off to a great start, and we want to celebrate the recent announcement of six Maryland Bikeways Grants that were awarded to Eastern Shore communities. Congratulations to St. Michaels, Oxford, Salisbury, and Princess Anne for your vision and dedication to trails. We will continue to share the great work being done to help create this Regional Trail Network.

Explore the Map!

Interested in volunteering with the Center this Spring? Join us for our volunteer training sessions! These sessions help introduce you to our participatory science surveys and other volunteer opportunities. Each session is offered both in-person and virtually. To register for these free training sessions, click the button below to visit our Better Impact volunteer hub and fill out a volunteer application. You will be required to create a free Better Impact account to access the registration forms.

Questions? Contact Nivette at volunteer@inlandbays.org.

Learn More

Salt patches, a product of rising seas, are spreading rapidly on the Chesapeake’s Eastern Shore

Climate change is claiming farmland at “an alarmingly high rate” in one of the Mid-Atlantic’s most productive agricultural regions, inflicting tens of millions of dollars in economic damage, a team of scientists says in a new study.

Read here

Department of Interior Stalt Marsh Keystone Initiative

Recognizing the enormous value of salt marshes, the Department of the Interior and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with funding support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, launched the Salt Marsh Keystone Initiative in January 2024.

Read Fact Sheet

Officials spray mud onto Chesapeake island to save imperiled saltmarsh sparrows

After four years of planning, a $13 million effort is underway to test a possible solution. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is using mud dredged from a nearby river to raise the height of a section of marshland...

Read Article

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