In September 1999, Hancock Timber Resource Group, The Conservation Fund, Richard King Mellon Foundation and the state of Maryland worked together to permanently preserve 76,000 acres of open space on the Delmarva peninsula. It is the largest conservation-related acquisition in the history of the mid-Atlantic, and demonstrates that conservation and economic interests can be successfully integrated. The transaction will aid restoration efforts along the Chesapeake Bay by protecting its natural water filters - forests, wetlands, streams and rivers - from being developed, while protecting the local economic base and retaining outdoor recreation lands for public use.