Ned Hall didn't see why all the fuss was necessary.

There were several government citations, heartfelt speeches and dozens of admirers offering a standing ovation - all to honor Hall's choice to preserve his tract of woodland in west county.

For Hall, it wasn't a difficult choice or one to be celebrated. Protecting land from development is just the natural thing to do, he said.

"It's too much, too much," Hall said Tuesday after he became the first honoree in the Chesapeake Bay String of Pearls Project, which aims to highlight property owners who protect their land.

Hall and his wife,...