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  Landscape Characterization / Impervious Surfaces / Use of Data in Land Use Planning / Natural Resources / Comprehensive Water Resource Planning

Natural Resources

Comprehensive Water Resource Planning

Polluted runoff from impervious surfaces in your watershed affects the amount and the quality of water in your streams.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Pavement is an unavoidable part of our modern lives-- we drive on it and park on it. But we can ask, "Do we need all this?" and, "Where do we want it?" As a land-use planning commissioner, you can plan the location and amount of impervious surfaces in your county or town.

When should you plan?

  • When you are updating or changing your comprehensive land use plan.
  • When you are adopting new regulations.

Zoning and subdivision regulations:

Most likely, your local codes already require certain standards for road widths, stormwater management, erosion control and parking lots. The best time to ensure that these codes protect your local streams and drinking water is when they are amended or when they are first written.

Factoids

  • Widening 12' lanes to 14' increases road impervious cover by more than 15%.
  • One mile of a 32' road equals nearly 4 acres of impervious surface.

Design standards:

How wide are your community's streets?

Yes, modern streets must accommodate fire engines and parking, but consider how pervious pavement options can be built into the design.

Are shopping center parking lots designed for the biggest shopping day or the average day? How can they 'borrow' space for peak periods?

Are public buildings and parking designed to minimize stormwater run off? Consider how open space or recreation areas can protect water resources.

What other standards could be implemented to protect water resources?


What is the least expensive and the most effective pollution prevention strategy for your future?

What will you need? 3 components:

An accurate, updated natural resources inventory:
  • How much impervious surface cover is there?
  • Where is it now located?
  • What are the limits of the watershed?
  • Where are your streams and wetlands?
  • How will these be affected if the watershed is developed?

Clear objectives

  • Does your community protect its streams and rivers? How?
  • Does your comprehensive plan state its water protection objectives clearly?
    How are they implemented?

A strategy

Many options are used in communities to protect streams and drinking water. Pick the combination most likely to succeed in your community. Are they regulatory only? Consider educating citizens about stewardship.


Maryland NEMO

Coastal Zone Management Program

Coastal Zone Management Program The Coastal Zone Management Act was adopted by Congress in 1972 to "preserve, protect, develop and, where possible, to restore and enhance the resources of the nation's coastal zone for this and succeeding generations." Maryland's coastal zone includes the Chesapeake Bay, coastal bays, and Atlantic Ocean, as well as the towns, cities and counties that contain and help govern the coastline. The coastline encompasses two-thirds of the state's land area and is home to 70% of Maryland's residents. Learn more about how the Maryland Coastal Zone Program partners with local governments.

Chesapeake Bay Critical Areas Programs
Critical Areas Commission

Maryland adopted special land use standards to protect the Chesapeake Bay in 1984. Learn more about how these standards are applied to the 1000 feet nearest the Bay's waters.

Forest Conservation Programs
Forestry

Maryland's 1991 Forest Conservation Act requires local jurisdictions to adopt programs to protect and retain forests, especially in sensitive areas. Forest buffers help to retard stormwater pollution of local waterways. Learn more about forest conservation and forest buffers.

Local Comprehensive Plans in Maryland include a Sensitive Resources Element since state planning statutes were amended in 1992. http://www.mdp.state.md.us/compmaps.htm

The Economic Growth, Resource Protection, and Planning Act of 1992 required "goals and standards to protect sensitive areas from the adverse impacts of development." All new and amended plans must contain these goals and standards, updated at least every 6 years, along with the seven "visions" that must be implemented in the plan. Furthermore, local zoning and subdivision ordinances must implement these requirements.

The Maryland Department of Planning has more information on sensitive resources and their protection.
Maryland Department of Planning Home Page
 

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