The Maryland Board of Public Works approved over $14-million in funds to purchase nearly 5,000 acres of forest land. The land on Maryland’s Eastern Shore contains rare habitat for forest and migrant birds. Located in the Nassawango Creek and Pocomoke River watersheds, it is the largest single privately owned parcel left in Maryland. Along with other existing protected properties, the purchase will create a 19,000-acre protected area, making up about 44-percent of the Nassawango Watershed. Critics of the deal question the cost at a time when the state is facing a budget crisis.