Governor Martin O'Malley announced that $980,000 worth of funding was awarded on Tuesday to help preserve Frederick County's past.

He said the money will go toward protecting seven properties that make up Maryland's core Civil War Battlefields at the Monocacy National Battlefield near Frederick and the South Mountain State Battlefield that borders with Washington County.

Liz Buxton, the director of the Maryland Environmental Trust (M.E.T.) said these properties are considered preservation priorities.

"They have been ranked, as I understand, by the Civil War Sites Advisory Commission as priorities. It is their location which is critical. If these properties were to develop they would really obstruct the scenic view shed there around these battlefields and so it is important to protect them and preserve the cultural landscape there," Buxton said.

The money will go toward conservation easements which would permanently protect the 8,654 acres of the battlefield sites and maintain the land in the farms and forests. They would also restrict any commercial and residential development. The Civil War Trust will match the awarded funds for a total of $1.96 million to help ensure the easements are upheld.