Environmental

Overview

The natural resources and sensitive areas section of the Comprehensive Plan states that the County should encourage preservation, protection, and conservation of natural resources.

Chesapeake Bay Critical Area (CBCA)

The Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Protection Act, passed in 1984, marked the first time that the State and local governments jointly addressed the impacts of land development on habitat and aquatic resources. The law identified the "Critical Area" as all land within 1,000 feet of the Mean High Water Line of tidal waters or the landward edge of tidal wetlands and all waters of and lands under the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries (includes the Patuxent River). For more information on local programs and regulations in the Critical Area, visit the County Critical Area page

County Critical Area Reforestation Program ~ "Free Trees in the Critical Area"

Free trees are available for Critical Area property owners who have an area on their property they would like to plant to help the county maintain 100 percent of existing forest cover within the Critical Area. For more information, visit the Critical Area page.

Environmental Commission 

For more information, visit the Environmental Commission page.

Floodplain Management

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has identified special flood hazard areas within the boundaries of Calvert County. Special flood hazard areas are subject to periodic inundation which may result in loss of life and property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental services, extraordinary public expenditures for flood protection and relief, and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety, and general welfare. Floodplains are defined by the Federal Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). Where map boundaries and elevations disagree, elevations prevail. FIRM Maps are available from Planning & Zoning. For more information on development within and near a floodplain area, visit the Floodplain Management page.

Go to MyCoast Maryland and download the app or report flooding!

The next time a rainstorm causes flooding in your neck of the woods, submit a picture on the MyCoast Maryland app. Your reports will help us further develop our flood mitigation plan.

Forest Conservation Program

 Early in 1990 Governor Schaeffer created a Task Force to assess the problems of Maryland's trees and forests and to promote land stewardship. The Task Force recommended creation of a forest conservation, protection, and reforestation law. The Department of Natural Resources Forest Service and various partners wrote the Forest Conservation Act and Regulations (FCA).

The main purpose of the FCA , enacted in 1991, was to minimize the loss of Maryland's forest resources during land development by making the identification and protection of forests and other sensitive areas an integral part of the site planning process. For more information on the local program and requirements, visit the Forest Conservation page.