(a) Required. A developer shall file with the Office of Planning and Zoning a forest stand delineation plan prepared by a licensed forester, licensed landscape architect, or other qualified professional who meets the requirements of COMAR, Title 08. The purpose of the plan is to determine the most suitable and practical areas for forest conservation.
(b) Contents. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a forest stand delineation shall consist of a narrative and shall contain or be accompanied by all information required by the Office of Planning and Zoning, including:
(1) a topographic map delineating intermittent and perennial streams and steep slopes;
(2) a soils map delineating soils with structural limitations, hydric soils, or highly erodible soils;
(3) forest stand data indicating the species, location, and size of trees and showing dominant and co-dominant forest types;
(4) the location of 100-year floodplains; and
(5) information required by the State Forest Conservation Technical Manual and COMAR Title 08, Subtitle 19 for a full forest stand delineation.
(c) Simplified forest stand delineation for sites other than linear projects. The Office of Planning and Zoning may approve a simplified forest stand delineation for sites other than linear projects if:
(1) (i) No forest cover will be disturbed during a construction activity;
(ii) All forest on the site will be protected under a long-term protective agreement between the developer and the County; and
(2) A forest stand delineation map, meeting the requirements of COMAR 08.19.04.02 for a simplified forest stand delineation map, is included in and approved as part of the application.
(d) Simplified forest stand delineation for linear projects. The Office of Planning and Zoning may approve a simplified forest stand delineation for a linear project if:
(1) disturbance to a forest area is less than 40 feet wide and the total forest disturbance is less than 120,000 square feet;
(2) the project area does not impact sensitive environmental features, such as floodplains, hydric soils, wetlands, perennial or intermittent streams, critical habitat, steep slopes, or highly erodible soils; and
(3) the applicant demonstrates that reasonable efforts have been made to utilize other routes.
(e) Map requirements. All maps required to be submitted under this section shall be at the same scale.
(f) Effectiveness. A forest stand delineation shall remain in effect for five years after approval. Thereafter, the Office of Planning and Zoning may approve the forest stand delineation for an additional five years based on the submission of such additional information as the Office may require.
(Bill No. 3-05; Bill No. 93-12; Bill No. 68-19)