Honoring the Brave and Inspirational Life of Harriet Tubman

The success of the State Park offered a powerful rationale for protecting a much larger landscape. So, in 2018, the State of Maryland asked the Fund to establish and sponsor the Harriet Tubman Rural Legacy Area (HTRLA). Maryland’s Rural Legacy Program is a part of Maryland’s very popular Program Open Space. Program Open Space is funded through the real estate transfer tax and the rural legacy program protects large contiguous areas of rural landscapes and the resource-based economies they support — namely farming, forestry, recreation and tourism.

Given our role with the Tubman State Park and our strong relationship with Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources, the Fund was a natural fit for sponsoring the new HTRLA. Time was of the essence to obtain approval in 2018 by the Maryland Board of Public Works, which consists of the Governor, Treasurer and Comptroller.

Within about 90 days, we conducted a landowner meeting, met with the Dorchester county commissioners, conducted a public hearing in Dorchester County, compiled a voluminous application, and received approval from the Maryland Rural Legacy Advisory Council. And in August 2018, the new Harriet Tubman Rural Legacy Area was approved by the Board of Public Works.

This expanded historic landscape has been very well received, and in 2019, we began with the first phase of a 2,000-acre easement. We are hopeful that we can secure the home of Ms. Tubman’s enslaver, where during her childhood, Ms. Tubman saw three of her sisters sold away. Family fracturing arguably was one of the cruelest aspects of slavery.

We also have an opportunity to protect a key parcel next to the Bucktown Store, one of the most important sites in the Tubman story. The Bucktown Store is where Ms. Tubman was hit in the head with a lead weight by a slave catcher while she was trying to assist a fleeing enslaved young man. The store stands today much as it would have been during Ms. Tubman’s time. This event left her with seizures, brutal headaches, and visions that heavily influenced her life and more importantly her determination to fight the institution of slavery.

With the solid connection between resource-based economies and land conservation, the rural legacy program fits squarely within our mission. The Conservation Fund is honored to be a part of this nationally significant project, and with 28,300 acres to protect, we’ve got our sleeves rolled up and are ready to work.