Our Impact

SACReD has successfully preserved hundreds of acres of bayfront property, blocked environmentally harmful commercial developments, and operated a pioneering community radio station to amplify local voices on environmental issues.

Our advocacy has resulted in major land acquisitions, zoning changes that reduced commercial sprawl, and innovative community engagement across Maryland's Mid-Chesapeake Bay region.

Franklin Point State Park

Our first campaign, 30 years ago, saved a 500+ acre bayfront property in Shady Side from development as a 156-home residential subdivision. Although the developer sued SACReD and 4 board members for 50 million dollars, SACReD prevailed in court and assisted Maryland DNR in acquiring what is now Franklin Point State Park. Thanks to this organization's hard work, in 1999, the State of Maryland and Anne Arundel County entered into an unprecedented agreement to purchase the land from developers for $5.8 million with Project Open Space funding.

Since 2014, when the park was opened to the public, volunteers associated with SACReD have worked with Maryland Park Service to provide visitor access to the park's diverse forest areas, old farm fields, and extensive shoreline. Recently, a living shoreline restoration project managed by Arundel Rivers has been completed on the park's Columbia Beach peninsula section.

Two women standing together at a community event beneath a large banner that reads 'SACRED South Anne Arundel Citizens for Responsible Development.' One woman has red hair and is wearing a colorful scarf, while the other has short black hair, glasses, and is holding pink notebooks.

Deale Commercial Complex

This project was one of the largest strip malls planned south of Edgewater, MD.  It was to include six or seven retail stores, a fast-food restaurant, and a 55,164 square foot Safeway supermarket.  The site, at the corner of MD Routes 2596 and 258, encompasses approximately 16 acres, much of it forested, non-tidal wetlands.  However, because of the important work of Deale-Shady Side Small Area Planners (SAP) and SACReD's hard-fought battle to preserve the SAP's recommendations on zoning, nine acres of the property that were zoned C-3 were downzoned to C-1, limiting the size of any one commercial building to 25,000 square feet.  The company's seven acres zoned R-5 remained residentially zoned.

SACReD engaged in an intensive educational, legal, public opinion, legislative, and action campaign designed to reduce the size and environmental impact of the strip mall.  Widespread support from other environmental organizations, particularly the Sierra Club, Chesapeake Environmental Protection Association, and State legislators, stalled the project.  The company ultimately announced it was abandoning plans for the mall.

A monarch butterfly on pink flowers amidst green foliage in a natural setting.

Commercial & Residential Development

The preservation of Anne Arundel County's natural resources and unique way of life is being threatened by commercial development that fails to address the needs of the community and the environment.  SACReD works with State and County officials to develop both short- and long-term plans for our local environment.  SACReD strives to "Stall the Sprawl" of big box stores, strip malls, and congestion from Metropolitan Washington, Baltimore, and Annapolis.

Logo for WRYR radio station with frequency 97.5 FM, website wryr.org, slogan 'We are your radio,' and a graphic of cattails.

WRYR-LP: A Voice for the Chesapeake Bay

WRYR-LP 97.5 FM was more than just a radio station—it was a bold experiment in grassroots communication and civic engagement, operated by SACReD from 2002 to 2019. As one of the first licensed Low-Power FM (LPFM) stations in the country and the only one founded by an environmental group, WRYR served as a vital outlet for community news, environmental advocacy, local culture, and youth engagement across Maryland’s Mid-Chesapeake Bay region. From its humble studio above a pizza shop in Churchton, WRYR amplified local voices, smart growth conversations, and music to six counties and streamed globally online.

WRYR was a volunteer-powered station built on donated equipment and community spirit. Its programming reflected the concerns and creativity of the people it served—from coverage of sensitive environmental issues to “Teen Radio,” a youth-led show that gave high school students hands-on media experience and a direct line to their peers. WRYR’s legacy endures not only in its pioneering role in community radio but in the lives it touched and the conversations it sparked. It stands as a testament to SACReD’s innovative approach to citizen-led change and the enduring power of local voices.

WRYR Archives

Enjoy this selection of audio clips advertising WRYR programming through the years.