Join our eMail ListWhy Is It Needed?
Why do we need PlanMaryland?
Because sustainable quality of life in our communities and rural areas is at stake.
Because we are on track to lose approximately 560,00 acres to development by 2030
The 560,000 acres of projected growth is equal to an area the size of:
- 175 Antietam National Battlefields
- 40 Patapsco State Parks
- 14 Assateague Islands
- 112 Cunningham Falls State Parks
- 84 Patuxent River State Parks
- 144 Deep Creek Lakes
Or, roughly, the equivalent of the total land area of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties combined.
PlanMaryland is, ultimately, a plan for a more livable, greener, healthier and sustainable Maryland.
Governor's Presentation to Maryland Association of Counties
Summer Conference, August 19, 2011
PowerPoint Presentation |
Video by Josh Davidsburg Maryland Department of Natural Resources |
10 Reasons We Need PlanMaryland
- To encourage sustainable development and protect quality of life.
- To develop land at a pace consistent with growth in population and housing.
- To preserve our natural, historical and cultural resources.
- To strengthen existing cities and communities and reduce tax burdens.
- To protect our farmland.
- To reduce automobile dependency.
- To increase access to transit options.
- To concentrate jobs in existing cities and communities, strengthening economic development.
- To increase housing affordability.
- To minimize residential land consumption outside of existing communities.
Click on each reason to see details.
WaterMaryland’s water bodies are a critical component of the state’s high quality of life. The Chesapeake Bay is one of our nation’s most valuable natural resources. Land use patterns have an impact on the quality of this estuary and its tributaries. Fragmented land, increases in impervious surfaces such as parking lots, and the increase in the number of septic systems contribute to the declining quality of the Chesapeake Bay and other waters in Maryland. |
|
Protected LandsProtected lands are areas that have been permanently preserved from development. These protections exist through the actions, efforts and/or investments of State and local government or private organizations or landowners. But preserved lands can also be compromised or threatened by sprawl development. |
|
Undeveloped UnprotectedUndeveloped, unprotected lands outside Priority Funding Areas (PFAs) are areas of uncertainty. These are mostly agricultural or forest lands that are not protected under permanent easements. They could be areas where zoning seeks to protect resource lands (e.g. productive agriculture) or they could be areas where zoning permits development to occur, further fragmenting the landscape. |
|
Sprawl DevelopmentAbout 585,000 acres of developed lands sit outside the state’s PFAs. The average lot size of residential parcels outside the PFA is approximately 2 acres. That is roughly eight times more land consumed than by households inside PFAs. These parcels are often on individual wells and septic systems (430,000 septic systems statewide), which create greater pollution, create longer commutes, and have greater impact on natural, historic, and cultural resources. |
|
Planned Growth AreasThe 1997 Priority Funding Areas Act directs State funding for growth-related infrastructure to PFAs. PFAs are defined as existing communities and places where local governments want to direct future growth. They are the areas where certain State programs that encourage growth and development are focused. These include highways, sewer and water construction, economic development assistance, and State leases or construction of new facilities. Criteria that determine PFAs include development density, water and sewer availability, and designation as a growth area in the comprehensive plan. |
|
This page was last updated: 2011-09-14