Director: Jonas A. Jacobson Jefferson Building 105 West Chesapeake Avenue Suite 400 Towson, MD 21204 deprm@baltimorecountymd.gov 410-887-3733 |  |
In order to improve the control of storm water run-off, and thereby improve the quality of the Chesapeake Bay, the Maryland legislature passed the Storm Water Management (SWM) Act of 2007. This Act will significantly affect the design of storm water components for land development projects. In order for a project to be grandfathered under current regulations, it must have fully approved sediment control and SWM plans by May 4, 2010. In order to be reasonably assured this deadline will be met, plans should be submitted as soon as possible. Fall is an ideal time to plant a tree; in fact many people think it’s the best time to plant trees! The Growing Home Campaign is an innovative way homeowners can help beautify our neighborhoods and increase the tree canopy in our region by planting trees in their yards - and save $10 on each tree purchased with the Growing Home tree coupon from a participating nursery or garden center. As a public - private partnership between Baltimore and Harford Counties, Baltimore City, 50 local retail nurseries, and homeowners, the Growing Home Campaign promotes tree planting on residential property by providing comprehensive education about selecting and planting great trees for our region and a cash incentive, $10 savings on each qualifying tree with a retail value of $25 or more. This year ‘Fall for a Tree’ by planting a tree in your yard through the Growing Home program. Baltimore County DEPRM has proposed stream restoration for a portion of Jennifer Branch between Northwind and Harford Roads. Jennifer Branch is experiencing common problems found in many of the County's suburban stream systems. Baltimore County responds to degraded streams with a naturally functioning self sustaining approach that will restore essential stream system processes. More information on this approach can be found in the EPA publication Baltimore County Stream Restoration Improves Quality of Life (2.1 MB PDF). Also you may download the presentation (12.7 MB PDF) from the April 22nd community meeting. If you have specific questions about this project please send an e-mail to watersheds@baltimorecountymd.gov.
Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management is proposing a project to dredge the Pleasure Island Channel (“the cut”) and place the dredged material on the south shoreline of Pleasure Island to create a beach. The beach will be protected by a series of segmented breakwaters along the south and southwest shoreline. Pleasure Island is owned and managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The State has committed $1,000,000 in State DNR funds to date. The County has applied for additional State funds from the Waterway Improvement Program and the Department of the Environment 2010 Bay Restoration Fund. See this informative Pleasure Island Presentation (2.2 MB PDF) that outlines the project in further detail. If you have additional questions or comments call Baltimore County DEPRM at 410-887-2904. The Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management will enforce the provisions of the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act for public swimming pools and spas located in Baltimore County. Baltimore County's Growing Home Campaign is one of the most aggressive efforts to expand urban forests. This Fall the campaign welcomes another partner, our northern neighbor, Harford County. The 2008 Growing Home Campaign partners now include Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Harford County as well as 48 participating retail nurseries and garden centers. The Growing Home Campaign, a recent national award winner, is an innovative public-private partnership to increase the tree canopy in our region by offering homeowners comprehensive education about planting trees and a cash incentive, the $10 Growing Home Tree Coupon.
Did you know that DEPRM implements a regionally renowned stream restoration program? Read this informative publication (2.1 MB PDF), which highlights DEPRM's stream restoration accomplishments. DEPRM's program incorporates project planning and design, widespread communication and support, construction and post-restoration follow-up. The program integrates state-of-the art techniques with an environmentally sensitive approach to stabilizing streams and reducing sediment loads, in turn enhancing stream morphology ecological function, water quality, and aquatic habitat. The EPA Mid-Atlantic Integrated Assessment program (MAIA) produced this document to help share knowledge between state and local governments, regional offices, and non-governmental organizations.
The Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management periodically receives requests for environmental administrative variances. The Department publishes a list of the environmental administrative variance requests along with their status. The requests are listed by County Council District. The DEPRM Function Brochure (PDF) provides phone numbers and brief descriptions of the services offered by the Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management. (Need PDF Help?)
Revised October 9, 2009 |