In 1984, the Maryland General Assembly passed the Chesapeake
Bay Critical Area Protection Program in response to growing concern
over the decline of the quality and productivity of the waters of
the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The decline was found to have
resulted, in part, from the cumulative effects of human activity that
caused increased levels of pollutants, nutrients, toxins, and also
from declines in more-protective land uses such as forest land and
agricultural land in the Bay region.
The General Assembly enacted the Critical Area Law for the following
purposes:
A.
To
establish a Resource Protection Program for the Chesapeake Bay and
its tributaries by fostering more-sensitive development activity for
certain shoreline areas so as to minimize damage to water quality
and natural habitats; and
B.
To
implement the Resource Protection Program on a cooperative basis between
the state and affected local governments, with local governments establishing
and implementing their programs in a consistent and uniform manner
subject to state criteria and oversight.
The goals of the Federalsburg Critical Area Ordinance are to
accomplish the following:
A.
Minimize adverse impacts on water quality that result from pollutants
that are discharged from structures or run off from surrounding lands;
B.
Conserve fish, wildlife, and plant habitats; and
C.
Establish land use policies for development in the Critical Area
which accommodate growth as well as address the environmental impacts
that the number, movement, and activities of people may have on the
area.
