State may preserve 575 more acres in Queen Anne's

Although the state's first purchase of a chunk of a sprawling estate in Queen Anne's County resulted in a political quagmire, the government is looking to spend more money to protect another piece of the land from development.

Officials are considering buying a conservation easement for 575 acres adjacent to the portion the state bought in June near Grasonville. By buying the easement, the state can guarantee no development will ever happen on a second portion of the property, said Olivia Campbell, a Department of Natural Resources spokesman.

Depending on how the potential easement affects the private sale of the rest of the...