Annapolis (November 6, 2003) - County Executive Janet S. Owens has appointed an Agricultural Preservation Program Review Committee. The group is tasked with reviewing the current County preservation program and making recommendations for changes. This is a routine review of the County's land preservation program which was last updated in 1999 when the Installment Purchase Agreement option was established by County Executive Owens. To date, 10,643 acres of land have been permanently protected from development in Anne Arundel County. More than 50% of that has occurred since Ms. Owens first took office in December, 1998. Land preservation programs date back to 1979. "I wholeheartedly support land preservation which is a top priority of my administration. However, I want to take time to evaluate the program," said Ms. Owens. "Faced with the severity of the fiscal forecast and the fact that we have not done a broad evaluation of this program for 5 years, this review is very timely. I look forward to comments and recommendations from the committee and thank them in advance for their commitment to ensuring the success of land preservation efforts during difficult times." | 
