Patuxent Tidewater Land Tr

Easement Monitoring: For the tenth year in a row, PTLT has accomplished 100% of its property monitoring requirements during the cold season monitoring period. PTLT uses an all-volunteer team of monitors under the oversight of a volunteer Monitoring Coordinator. This group identifies and evaluates potential issues on existing easements and completes, files, and distributes monitoring reports for each property. These reports are submitted to the easement co-holders and sponsors. This labor-intensive effort, while not consuming significant funding, is critical to ensuring that the conservation value of the properties is maintained and no easement violations occur. The Maryland Rural Legacy program grants PTLT funds to monitor properties for which they are co-holders.

Easement Compliance: Due in part to our thorough monitoring program, PTLT has had few easement compliance issues and tries hard to resolve these amicably with landowners. Our volunteer board members investigate, document, and resolve each issue. PTLT holds reserve funds in an endowment account and holds insurance to address any violations that would require legal or technical expertise. PTLT continues to follow up with landowners on potential easement issues to help them address emerging problems in a timely manner. PTLT has adopted a new policy of requiring easement properties to be free of dumping prior to closing. This ensures our monitors can spot dumping changes on the properties easier. As part of easement compliance, PTLT is also keeping notes on inland erosion which has become an increasing issue in the Huntersville area after Hurricane Isaias in 2020. Examples of compliance issues that have been successfully addressed are vegetative buffer restoration, erosion remediation, and removal of material in violation of dumping restrictions.