After many months of careful preparation and thoughtful planning, 1000 Friends of Maryland has decided to join forces with Preservation Maryland, the statewide non-profit preservation advocacy organization.

Under this new partnership, 1000 Friends will become Smart Growth Maryland, a robust and targeted campaign of Preservation Maryland. Kimberly Golden Brandt will lead this new campaign as an employee of Preservation Maryland, the Director of Smart Growth Maryland.

Under the banner of Smart Growth Maryland, the mission of 1000 Friends will continue undeterred. The only change our supporters should expect is a greater level of advocacy, outreach and education around smart growth issues thanks to increased efficiencies, bigger impacts and more donor dollars put towards this critical work.

That means more farmland saved, more historic cities and towns revitalized and a smarter future for Maryland.

Preservation Maryland was one of the founding organizational members of 1000 Friends of Maryland in 1994 and has remained a partner throughout the years by advocating for the policies and programs that make redevelopment of historic communities a reality. When existing communities are revitalized, sprawl is limited. This symbiotic relationship has kept the smart growth and historic preservation communities advocating on each other’s behalf for many years.

The launch of Smart Growth Maryland will further solidify this already strong relationship. Smart Growth Maryland provides Preservation Maryland with the ability to advocate for an even greater set of policies and programs that make preservation work possible. Alternatively, Preservation Maryland provides the smart growth community a unique partner to advance their common mission and to utilize historic places as a part of an overall smart growth message.

To learn more, please visit smartgrowthmaryland.org