Spotlighted Legislation

Introduced by: Chairperson at the request of the County Executive
Co-sponsored by: Opel Jones, Deb Jung, Christiana Mercer Rigby, and Liz Walsh
AN ACT repealing and reenacting the Forest Conservation Act of Howard County; providing the purpose of the Act; defining certain terms to be used throughout the Act; requiring a Forest Conservation Plan for any person, or unit of local government, developing land 40,000 square feet or greater, subject to certain exceptions; requiring a Declaration of Intent for certain exemptions; setting forth the requirements of a Forest Conservation Plan; providing for the review process of a Forest Conservation Plan; requiring a Forest Conservation Manual to be prepared and adopted; requiring that the Manual include specific standards and guidelines; setting forth certain Forest Retention Priorities; requiring certain reforestation requirements and providing that reforestation shall be based on certain calculations; requiring certain afforestation and providing that afforestation shall be based on certain calculations; setting forth certain afforestation and reforestation location priorities and preferred methods; requiring certain site design; requiring certain financial security for afforestation and reforestation; authorizing a fee-in-lieu of afforestation and reforestation under certain conditions; providing for Forest Conservation Fund to keep the fee-in-lieu of afforestation and reforestation and providing for the use of monies contained in the fund; providing for certain enforcement and penalties; requiring mitigation by the County when land is developed in violation of the Act; providing for certain appeals; allowing for the grant of variances of the provisions of the Act, under certain circumstances; allowing the abandonment of Forest Conservation Easements under certain conditions; providing for the opportunity to create a Forest Mitigation Bank under certain conditions; and generally related to forest conservation in Howard County.
Status: Passed as Amended

Introduced by: Opel Jones and Christiana Mercer Rigby
AN ACT to require a specified fee on certain disposable bags; providing for the collection of the fee and the administration of the subtitle; specifying the duties of certain stores; creating a Disposable Plastics Reduction Fund; providing for the administration and uses of the Fund; providing for penalties for certain violations; requiring certain studies and reports; and generally relating to disposable bags in the County.
Status: Passed as Amended