www.aacounty.org
Annapolis, MD - The Draft 2022 Green Infrastructure Master Plan has been released for public review and comment until September 26. It is a guide to conserving an interconnected network of the most significant remaining natural lands in Anne Arundel County. The lands identified as the Green Infrastructure Network help protect water and air quality, provide habitat for plants and wildlife, create opportunities for recreation, and support mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change. The Plan will not be a regulatory document but should play a strong role in future planning, such as Regional Area Plans, and be used to guide future legislation.
Past land use legislation has tended to view green infrastructure as a constraint to development rather than an opportunity to complement growth and enhance quality of life. This Plan will be well-synchronized with initiation of the Regional Planning processes. It should be one of the first items addressed by the RAP’s and given high priority in land use and zoning decisions.
The new Plan includes updated GIS maps showing that the Network includes approximately 113,000 acres. Approximately 65% of the Network is already conserved by various means. The Plan includes a goal of preserving an additional 5,000 acres by 2030 so that approximately 30 percent of the land area of the County would be preserved Green Infrastructure. It will be essential to have a publicly available annual updates on progress toward this important goal.
All citizens stand to benefit from a well-constructed Green Infrastructure plan. Everyone should review and comment on the Plan and updated map by going to the County’s Green Infrastructure web page, which can be accessed here. Pay particular attention to your local area. The web page provides opportunities to view and submit comments on the Plan and the updated map and to register for a public forum on the Plan to be held September 8th.
