Anne Arundel County to Propose Changes to Forest Conservation Law
On September 3, 2019, County Executive Steuart Pittman plans to introduce legislation at the County Council meeting that will make forest conservation law significantly more stringent in Anne Arundel County. The County is proposing several key changes to the current forest conservation law that substantially increase the fee-in-lieu cost, restructure and increase the forest conservation threshold for sites five acres or larger, and double the reforestation rate for sites preserving forest cover above the forest conservation threshold – with the goal of protecting larger forested sites and bringing county code into compliance with state forest conservation code. This bill will have extensive impacts to all development in Anne Arundel County, particularly on larger sites.
Forest conservation measures could be changing in Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Get Your Instream Work Done - Use III Time of Year Restriction Approaching in Maryland
Jabez Branch - a Use III waterway in Anne Arundel County, Maryland
The Maryland instream work time-of-year restriction (TOYR) for Use III waterways – nontidal cold waters - is rapidly approaching (check your state wetland permit to identify the use classification of any streams on your site). Beginning October 1 and ending on April 30¹, this TOYR prohibits instream work such as road construction, utility line and stream diversion installation, and stream restoration activities.
Endangered Species Act Changes
On August 12, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service released revisions to the regulations for implementing the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Department of the Interior stated in its press release that the changes are intended to bring clarity to the standards for listing and reclassifying species, roll back “blanket” protection measures for threatened species, and improve upon the interagency consultation process. The changes are addressed in three Final Rules that culminate a process the Department of the Interior began on July 25, 2018 when they published the proposed changes in the Federal Register.
Endangered Species Act changes will be in effect September 26, 2019
Adding Value to Right-of-Way Management
A system-wide approach to Right-of-Way (ROW) assessment can help utility and energy companies meet regulatory compliance needs and advance corporate stewardship goals by identifying innovative strategies to manage vast networks of transmission, distribution, and storage infrastructure corridors more efficiently and cost-effectively.
Wetland Studies and Solutions brings a big-picture GIS-based process to ROW management that differs from the conventional area-by-area piecemeal approach. Our ROW Baseline Condition Assessments give clients the system-wide data they need to address priorities across their entire ROW network
WSSI has provided GIS-based assessments across 30 US States, 14,700 miles, and 260,600 acres
Root Appreciation Day is Coming
Uncover what you need to know about roots on Sept. 26
Tree root systems can be important considerations in site design and construction, especially when plans call for tree preservation. Learn more about roots, what they need, and how they are impacted by underground and above ground development activities. WSSI Senior Urban Forester Chris Cowles, MD RPF, will lead a Root Appreciation Day workshop on September 26. The event is sponsored by WSSI, presented by the Northern Virginia Urban Forestry Roundtable, and hosted by Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation.