This GIS dataset contains Priority Preservation Areas (PPAs) adopted by counties under the Agricultural Stewardship Act of 2006. Data are collected from counties by the Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) or digitized by MDP in coordination with local jurisdictions. For more information about the Agricultural Stewardship Act of 2006, see the PPA requirement established in House Bill 2 (2006) for counties seeking state certification of their farmland preservation programs and located in §2-518 of the Agriculture Article. Certification allows a county to retain more locally generated agricultural land transfer tax for land preservation. Not all counties have PPAs.This document describes standard operating procedures for aggregating PPA GIS data. These procedures may not apply to historical data (i.e. records for which the GIS_SRC field is blank). For example, MDP may have realigned historical data from local jurisdictions to parcel polygon boundaries.MDP generally requests updated GIS data after learning of a change to a PPA. Aggregated data may be outdated or incomplete if MDP has not yet received or processed GIS updates from jurisdictions. MDP generally does not alter geometries received from the local jurisdictions.This dataset is a public resource for general information purposes. Only the PPA, as depicted in the County's Comprehensive Plan, is the official PPA. The Maryland Department of Planning cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information contained in this resource. Each user is responsible for determining its suitability for his or her intended use or purpose. The Maryland Department of Planning or the State of Maryland has no liability from any damages or interpretations caused by this resource. Any errors or omissions should be reported to Tina James, christina.james@maryland.gov.Last Updated: 2/17/2026