§ 919. Wetlands program reports
(a) On or before April 30, 2025, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Natural Resources
shall submit to the House Committee on Environment and to the Senate Committee on
Natural Resources and Energy a report on annual losses and gains of significant wetlands
in the State. The report shall include:
(1) the location and acreage of Class II wetland and buffer losses permitted by the Agency
in accordance with section 913 of this title, for which construction of the permitted project has commenced;
(2) the acreage of Class II wetlands and buffers gained through permit-related enhancement
and restoration;
(3) the number of site visits and technical assistance calls conducted by the Agency of
Natural Resources, the number of permits processed by the Agency, and any enforcement
actions that were taken by the Agency or the Office of the Attorney General in the
previous year for violations of this chapter; and
(4) an updated mitigation summary of the extent of wetlands restored on-site compared
with compensation performed off-site, in-lieu fees paid, or conservation.
(b) On or before April 30, 2027, and every five years thereafter, the Agency of Natural
Resources shall submit to the House Committee on Environment and to the Senate Committee
on Natural Resources and Energy a comprehensive report on the status of wetlands in
the State. The report shall include:
(1) an analysis of historical trends of wetlands, including data analyzing the projects
for which wetland permits were issued by county and tactical basin;
(2) the results of each NWI Plus Mapping Project, including net acres mapped, dominant
vegetative composition, connected tributaries, locations of confirmed ground truthing,
if applicable, and any other hydrologic soil or vegetative observations or trends
noted; and
(3) relevant updates related to Class I and Class II wetlands to include additional wetlands
identified under these categories, their composition and general characteristics,
potential threats, patterns of use, and other unique features. (Added 2023, No. 121 (Adj. Sess.), § 15, eff. July 1, 2024.)