Parks & Green Space
Legislation
Sustainable Oyster Harvest Act of 2016
House Bill 1603 Senate Bill 937 Chapter 703
Requires the Department of Natural Resources, in consultation with the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science to conduct a specified study related to the public oyster fishery; requiring the Department to identify oyster management strategies to promote a sustainable oyster population and fishery; requiring the Department to submit specified reports on the study and specified oyster management strategies to the Governor, the Oyster Advisory Commission, and the General Assembly on or before specified dates.
Effective June 1, 2016
Neonicotinoid Pesticides - Restrictions on Sales and Use (Pollinator Protection Act of 2016)
Senate Bill 0198 House Bill 0211 Chapter 0661
Prohibits a person from selling, on or after January 1, 2018, a neonicotinoid pesticide unless the person also sells a restricted use pesticide; prohibiting a person from using a neonicotinoid pesticide on or after January 1, 2018, unless the person is a certified applicator or a person working under specified circumstances; requiring the Department of Agriculture to incorporate pollinator habitat expansion and enhancement practices into the State's Managed Pollinator Protection Plan; requiring a specified report; etc.
Effective October 1, 2016
House Bill 90 Chapter 93
This bill expands the authorized uses of the Bay Restoration Fund (BRF) Septics Account to include providing financial assistance to low-income homeowners, as defined by the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), for up to 50% of the cost of an operation and maintenance (O&M) contract of up to five years for an on-site sewage disposal system that utilizes nitrogen removal technology. Either MDE or a local government must determine an applicant’s eligibility and the level of assistance to be provided based on the average cost of such a contract provided by vendors in the applicant’s area.
Effective June 1, 2016
Water Quality
Climate Change
Responding to Major Storm Impacts: Ecological Impacts of Hurricane Sandy on Chesapeake and Delmarva Coastal Bays
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, 2012
Analysis of the impacts of Hurricane Sandy on the natural resources of the Chesapeake and Delmarva Bays with recommendations on how the region might manage other such storms.