Resources and Tools

Maryland Launches New Website and Tree Planting Tracking Tool as Part of Five Million Trees Initiative

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Resources and Tools

by Kristen E. Humphrey, MLA, Local Assistance and Training Planner

In April, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) launched a new online tree survey, which is a mapping tool designed to help track the state’s progress in its ambitious goal of planting five million native trees by 2031.

Finalized in October 2022, The Five Million Tree Plan was developed by the Maryland Commission for the Innovation and Advancement of Carbon Markets and Sustainable Tree Plantings (Commission). The Maryland General Assembly established the Commission with the Tree Solutions Now Act of 2021.  

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Planning Commissioner Training Course Upcoming on Sunday, June 25 at MML

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Resources and Tools

Resources and Tools

The Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) and the Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA), in conjunction with Maryland Municipal League (MML), invite you to attend the Planning Commissioners Training Course, either in-person or virtually, on Sunday, June 25 at the MML summer conference in Ocean City. 

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Local Government Annual Reporting Requirements and Updated Templates 

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The Maryland Department of Planning’s (Planning’s) March 4, 2020, Planning Practice Monthly covered the annual reporting process for local governments, as did the Maryland Planning Commissioners Association (MPCA) during its 2021 annual conference with a session titled The Benefits of Annual Reporting.  

The General Assembly has required annual reports since 1952, under Land Use Article §1-207 (basic requirements), §7-104 (adequate facilities reporting requirements), and §1-208 (measures and indicators). Consequently, all jurisdictions with planning and zoning authority must prepare and submit an annual report for calendar year 2022, by July 1, 2023, or as soon as possible, to mdp.planreview@maryland.gov.  

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Maryland Department of Planning Publishes HB 90 Webpage

/ Maryland Department of Planning / 1 Comment

Resources and Tools

by Joseph Griffiths, AICP, Local Assistance and Training Manager

Figure 1 – Photo of affordable town home development in Garrett County. Courtesy, Duane Yoder.

As of January 1, 2023, HB 90 (2021) requires all housing elements for municipalities and non-charter counties to “affirmatively further fair housing” (AFFH). This adds to the requirements to plan for affordable housing that HB 1045 (2019) initiated in June 2020. 

The Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) recently published an HB 90 webpage to help jurisdictions incorporate the new fair housing requirements into their comprehensive plan housing elements.

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Resources to Help Jurisdictions Meet the Planning Requirements of HB 90 (2021)

/ Maryland Department of Planning / 2 Comments

Resources and Tools

by Joseph Griffiths, AICP, Local Assistance and Training Manager

Starting January 1, 2023, per Land Use Article §3-114 (d)(2) and as a result of 2021’s HB 90, all comprehensive plan housing elements adopted by non-charter counties and municipalities “shall include an assessment of fair housing to ensure the local jurisdiction is affirmatively furthering fair housing”.

The Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) introduced HB 90 to Planning Practice Monthly readers in our July 29, 2022 edition. That article summarizes the bill, defines affirmatively furthering fair housing (AAFH), and describes the coordination between Planning and the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to develop resources that will help jurisdictions meet the new requirements.

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