Watson Conservation Easement

The Watson Conservation Easement was donated to Greenbelt in late 2021 by landowners James and Anne Watson. The property is located just outside Columbia city limits, between Creasy Springs Road and Roemer Road near the north side of Columbia. The site consists of approximately 50 acres of unimproved land, almost all of which is heavily forested.

The landowners plan to manage the property with a view toward habitat preservation and removal of non-native species, although a residence may be built in a small cleared area, and a few non-permanent wooden tent platforms may be placed on-site for camping purposes. The property also features a pond. In addition, the woodlands serve as a riparian buffer for Rocky Fork Creek, which runs very close to the property’s western boundary and in whose watershed the land is located.

The conservation easement placed on the property provides a strong degree of protection against urban development, which is occurring quite rapidly in the surrounding area, and the protected land will provide a permanent wild and scenic amenity to the residents of the new homes being built around it.