Land Preservation, Parks, and Recreation Plan August 2017 LPPRP Table of Contents I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................ 1 A. PURPOSE OF THIS PLAN .......................................................................................................................1 B. PLANNING PROCESS SUMMARY .............................................................................................................1 C. KEY ISSUES SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................1 D. GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..........................................................................................................2 II. INTRODUCTION AND PLANNING CONTEXT ......................................................................... 3 A. PURPOSE OF THIS PLAN .......................................................................................................................3 B. PLANNING PROCESS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.........................................................................................4 C. COUNTY CHARACTER AND EXISTING SYSTEM OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACE ..............................................................7 III. PARKS AND RECREATION ................................................................................................ 15 A. SECTION SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... 15 B. EXISTING SYSTEM OF PUBLIC PARKS AND RECREATION AMENITIES ............................................................... 16 C. PARTICIPATION IN PARKS AND RECREATION ACTIVITIES ............................................................................. 28 D. LEVEL OF SERVICE ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................ 33 E. GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................................................................... 55 IV. NATURAL RESOURCE LAND CONSERVATION ................................................................... 59 A. INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF ST. MARY’S COUNTY CONSERVED NATURAL RESOURCE LANDS...................... 59 B. GOALS FOR NATURAL RESOURCE LAND CONSERVATION ............................................................................. 60 C. COUNTY CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCE LAND ............................................................................ 62 D. EVALUATION OF THE NATURAL RESOURCE LAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM .................................................. 79 E. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION .............................................. 85 V. AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION.............................................................................. 87 A. AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY AND FARMLAND PRESERVATION OVERVIEW ......................................................... 87 B. FARMLAND PRESERVATION GOALS ....................................................................................................... 90 C. CURRENT PROGRAM/POLICY IMPLEMENTATION ...................................................................................... 91 D. EVALUATION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM/POLICY IMPLEMENTATION ........................... 102 E. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR AGRICULTURAL LAND PRESERVATION ............................................ 109 APPENDIX A: STATEWIDE GOALS ....................................................................................... 111 APPENDIX B: ST. MARY’S COUNTY DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE ............................................... 113 APPENDIX C: RECREATION TRENDS AND PARTICIPATION ESTIMATES ................................. 125 APPENDIX D: 2016 OPEN LINK SURVEY SUMMARY RESULTS ............................................... 153 APPENDIX E: 2016 RECREATION AND PARKS SITE INVENTORY ............................................ 161 APPENDIX F: CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................. 167 APPENDIX G: PARK AND RECREATION MAPS ...................................................................... 171 Land Preservation, Parks, and Recreation Plan i LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Projected Population Growth 2000 to Figure 26: Educational Attainment of Young 2040 ................................................................... 8 Adults (ages 18 – 24) - County and State (2014) Figure 2: County Governing Structure for ....................................................................... 119 Recreation and Parks ....................................... 23 Figure 27: Educational Attainment and Median Figure 3: Program Enrollment: 2015/2016 Earnings of St. Mary’s County Residents Age 25+ Average ............................................................ 30 ....................................................................... 120 Figure 4: Top 6 Recreation Division Program Figure 28: Projected Growth of Households in Areas by Enrollment: 2015/2016 Average ....... 30 St. Mary’s County........................................... 121 Figure 5: Regular Season Sports League Game & Figure 29: 2014 Median Household Income Practices 2015 .................................................. 31 Comparison .................................................... 121 Figure 6: Projected Growth of Households in St. Figure 30: Median Household Income 2010 to Mary’s County .................................................. 33 2014 ............................................................... 122 Figure 7: Survey Respondents’ Annual Visitation Figure 31: Distribution of Median Household at Chancellor’s Run Regional Park ................... 37 Income in St. Mary’s County (2014) .............. 122 Figure 8: Proposed Patuxent Waters Figure 32: Employment of County Residents Conservation Area............................................ 76 Ages 16+ (2014) ............................................. 123 Figure 9: Land Use on Farms 2012 ................... 87 Figure 33: Employment by Industry in St. Mary’s Figure 10: Farms by Acreage Size 1997, 2002, County (2014) ................................................ 123 2007 & 2012 ..................................................... 88 Figure 34: Employment by Occupation of St. Figure 11: Market Value of Production: 1997, Mary’s County Residents (2014) .................... 124 2002, 2007, & 2012 .......................................... 89 Figure 35: Estimated Household Participation in Figure 12: Land Preservation Goal ................... 90 Fitness Activities ............................................ 126 Figure 13: MALPF Easements by Year .............. 95 Figure 36: Estimated Household Participation in Figure 14: Land Preservation Spending ........... 98 Outdoor Recreation Activities ....................... 126 Figure 15: TDR Program Implementation ...... 100 Figure 37: Estimated Household Participation in Figure 16: 2011 Trends: Preservation vs. Loss of Team and Individual Sports ........................... 127 Land in Farms ................................................. 103 Figure 38: Household Participation in Leisure Figure 17: Residential Lots Created by Planning Activities ........................................................ 128 Area ................................................................ 105 Figure 39: Estimated Annual Spending per Figure 18: St. Mary’s County, Maryland Recreation Expenditure Category .................. 129 Population Growth Trend .............................. 114 Figure 40: Sports Participation Rates by Figure 19: Population Age Distribution: 2010 to Generation 2014 ............................................ 130 2025 ............................................................... 115 Figure 41: Millennials (red) Vs. Non-Millennials Figure 20: 2015 Estimated Population (grey) on Health and Fitness .......................... 133 Breakdown by Age Cohort ............................. 116 Figure 42: Changes in Sport Activity Figure 21: Population Age Distribution: 2010 to Participation 2013 to 2014 ............................ 137 2040 ............................................................... 116 Figure 43: Most Popular Outdoor Activities by Figure 22: St. Mary’s County Racial and Ethnic Rate of Participation ...................................... 140 Character 2010 and 2014 ............................... 117 Figure 44: Favorite Outdoor Activities by Figure 23: St. Mary’s County Population Racial Frequency of Participation among Youths and and Ethnic Character 2014 ............................. 117 Young Adults (Ages 6 to 24):.......................... 140 Figure 24: Racial/Ethnic Character Comparison Figure 45: Favorite Outdoor Activities by 2014 – County to State .................................. 118 Frequency of Participation among Adults (Age Figure 25: Educational Attainment of Adults 25+) ................................................................ 141 (ages 25+) – County and State (2014) ............ 119 St. Mary’s County, Maryland ii LIST OF MAPS Map 1: County Context ................................................................................................................................. 7 Map 2: 2017 Public Parks and Recreation Network in St. Mary’s County .................................................. 10 Map 3: 2017 Parks and Recreation Density ...............................................................................................