reglab/statecodes huggingface dataset:
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 1 - Maryland Environmental Service › Section 3-114 - Source of Payment of Bonds

Except as may otherwise be expressly provided by the Service, every issue of its bonds or notes shall be general obligations of the Service payable out of any revenues or other money of the Service subject only to any agreements with the holders of particular bonds or notes pledging any particular receipts or revenues.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 1 - Maryland Environmental Service › Section 3-115 - Issuance of Refunding Bonds and Renewal Notes; Payment to Holders of Bonds and Notes

The Service may provide, by resolution adopted by a majority of the Board, for the issuance of its renewal notes or of refunding bonds for the purpose of refunding any bonds or notes then outstanding which were issued under the provisions of this subtitle, whether or not the bonds or notes to be refunded have matured, including the payment of any redemption premium thereon and any interest accrued or to accrue to the date of redemption of the bonds or notes, and, if deemed advisable by the Board, for either or both of the following combined additional purposes: (1) paying all or any part of the cost of constructing improvements or extensions to or enlargements of any existing project or projects and (2) paying all or any part of the cost of any additional project or projects. The issuance of refunding bonds or renewal notes and the details thereof, the rights of the holders thereof, and the rights, duties, and obligations of the Service in respect thereto, are governed by the provisions of this subtitle relating to bonds or notes, insofar as these provisions may be applicable.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 1 - Maryland Environmental Service › Section 3-117 - Trust Agreements; Disposition of Proceeds

(a)    Bonds and notes authorized to be issued under the provisions of this subtitle by resolution of the Board may be secured by a trust agreement by and between the Service and a corporate trustee, which may be any trust company, or bank having trust powers, within or without the State. The trust agreement, or the authorizing resolution, may pledge or assign all or any part of the revenues of the Service or of any project or other available funds of the Service or pledge, convey, or assign any one or more facilities or properties. Any trust agreement or resolution authorizing the issuance of bonds or notes may contain the provisions for the protection and enforcement of the rights and remedies of the bondholders and the trustee deemed reasonable and proper and may restrict the individual right of action by bondholders. In addition, the trust agreement may contain other provisions which the Board deems reasonable and proper for the security of the bondholders, including, without limitation, covenants to abandon, restrict, or prohibit the construction or operation of competing facilities and covenants pertaining to the issuance of additional parity bonds or notes upon conditions stated therein consistent with the requirements of this subtitle. All expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of any trust agreement may be treated as a part of the cost of the operation of any project or projects in connection with which the bonds or notes have been issued.
(b)    The proceeds of the sale of bonds or notes secured by a trust agreement shall be paid to the trustee under the trust agreement securing the bonds or notes and shall be disbursed in the manner and under the restrictions, if any, that may be provided in the trust agreement.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 1 - Maryland Environmental Service › Section 3-119 - Revenues -- Trust Funds

All money received by the Service as proceeds from the sale of bonds or notes and all money received or by way of those rentals, rates, fees, or other charges or revenues, or portion thereof, from any project, or any continuation of projects and which are designated by any authorizing resolution or trust agreement as security for bonds or notes shall be deemed to be trust funds to be held and applied solely as provided by the provisions of this subtitle and in the resolution authorizing the issuance of bonds or notes or the trust agreement securing the bonds or notes.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 1 - Maryland Environmental Service › Section 3-120 - Remedies of Bondholders and Trustees

Any holder of bonds or notes issued under this subtitle and the trustee, except to the extent the rights herein given may be restricted by the trust agreement, either at law or in equity, by suit, action, mandamus or other proceedings, may protect and enforce any and all rights under the laws of the State or granted hereunder, or in the resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds or notes, or under the trust agreement, and may enforce and compel the performance of all duties required by this subtitle, or in the resolution authorizing the issuance of the bonds or notes, or by the trust agreement, to be performed by the Service, or by any officer thereof, including the fixing, charging, and collecting of rentals and other rates, fees, and charges for the use of the projects.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 1 - Maryland Environmental Service › Section 3-121 - Bonds and Notes Are Legal Investments

Bonds and notes issued under this subtitle are securities in which all public officers and public units of the State and its political subdivisions and all banks, trust companies, savings and loan associations, investment companies, and others carrying on a banking business, all insurance companies, insurance associations, and others carrying on an insurance business, all personal representatives, guardians, trustees, and other fiduciaries, and all other persons may legally and properly invest funds, including capital in their control or belonging to them. The bonds and notes are securities which may properly and legally be deposited with and received by any State or municipal officer or any unit or political subdivision of the State for any purpose for which the deposit of bonds or other obligations of the State is authorized by law.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 1 - Maryland Environmental Service › Section 3-123 - Service Exempt From Taxation; Bonds and Notes of Service Exempt From Taxation

The exercise of the powers granted by this subtitle is for the benefit of the people of the State for the improvement of their health and living conditions. Since the activities of the Service and the operation and maintenance of its projects constitute the performance of essential governmental functions, the Service is exempt from any payment of or liability for any and all taxes, whether federal, State, or local, now or hereafter levied or imposed, and any assessments or other governmental charges. The bonds and notes of the Service issued pursuant to the authority of this subtitle, their transfer, the interest payable thereon, and any income derived therefrom, including any profit realized in the sale or exchange thereof, at all times shall be exempt from taxation of every kind and nature whatsoever by the State, or by any of its political subdivisions, municipal corporations, or public units of any kind.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 1 - Maryland Environmental Service › Section 3-124 - Service Not Required to Give Bond or Suffer Liens; Assignment of Wages Not Binding on Service

The Service may not be required to give any bond as security for costs, supersedeas, or any other security in any suit or action brought by or against it, or in proceedings to which it may be a party in any court in the State. The Service may appeal to a court having jurisdiction without bonds, supersedeas, or security of any kind. No builder’s, materialman’s, contractor’s, laborer’s, or mechanic’s liens of any kind or character may ever attach to or become a lien upon any property, real or personal, owned or controlled by the Service. No assignment of wages may be binding upon or recognized by the Service.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 1 - Maryland Environmental Service › Section 3-125 - Liens Created in Favor of Service or Municipality

(a)    Any lien created in favor of the Service or a municipality pursuant to this subtitle is effective against the person on whose property the lien exists and the owner of record. However, the lien is not effective against any third party unless written notice of the lien is recorded and indexed in a permanent record maintained in the office of the clerk of the circuit court in each county in which the property subject to the lien or any part of it is located.
(b)    The notice shall contain the name and address of the owner of record against whose property the lien exists, the name and address of the Service or municipality, the amount of the lien, a description or reference to the property subject to the lien, and the date the lien was created.
(c)    On presentation of a release of any lien of the Service or municipality, the clerk of the proper court in which the lien is recorded and indexed shall record and index the release and shall note in the lien docket the date the release is filed and the fact that the lien is released.
(d)    The clerk of the proper court shall provide a suitable well-bound book, at the expense of the county or city, to be called the environmental service lien docket, in which the notices of liens shall be recorded and indexed. The clerk may not collect more than $2 for recording and indexing each lien or release of any lien.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 1 - Maryland Environmental Service › Section 3-127 - Rules and Regulations Generally

(a)    Except as otherwise provided by this subtitle, the Service may adopt, formulate, revise, and enforce rules and regulations necessary for the regulation of its internal affairs and for the use and operation of its projects, and of any other laws the administration of which is vested in the Service. A rule or regulation concerning the use or operation of a project may not conflict with any rule, regulation, permit, or hauler certificate of the Department of the Environment. The Service may limit or regulate water supply or liquid waste service, refuse collection, disposal service, and storm and surface water drainage service, in any area or to any premises served by Service projects, as the exigencies of the occasion and the protection of its systems require. The Service may adopt lawful and reasonable regulations it considers necessary for the public’s health and safety, comfort, and convenience in the construction, operation, maintenance, expansion, relocation, replacement, renovation, and repair of its water supply, wastewater purification, solid waste disposal, and energy projects.
(b)    Rules and regulations shall be approved by the Board and adopted under the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, except when necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health and safety and except for emergency provisions required to protect Service projects.
(c)    Any regulation adopted by the Service under this section has the effect of law.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 1 - Maryland Environmental Service › Section 3-128 - Arbitration; Scope of Authority of Public Service Commission

(a)    If the Service and a municipality or person fail to reach agreement on rates, fees, or other charges to be exacted by the Service for a water supply or wastewater purification project, the Public Service Commission, on the petition of either party to the disagreement, shall assume jurisdiction for the purpose of arbitrating the disagreement. Its determination shall be final and binding on all parties concerned, subject to the right of any party to appeal the determination to the circuit court of any county within which the municipality or person is located, resides, or carries on business. In any appeal the decision of the Commission is prima facie correct and shall be affirmed unless clearly shown to be (1) in violation of constitutional provisions, or (2) made on unlawful procedure, or (3) arbitrary or capricious, or (4) affected by other error of law. It is the intention of this subtitle that judicial review in all instances includes the right to appeal to the Court of Special Appeals from the decision of the lower court. The provisions of this section and the jurisdiction of the Public Service Commission shall not apply to any rates, fees, or charges agreed to by contract between the Service and a municipality or person for a water supply or wastewater purification project.
(b)    The Service may not be deemed to be a public service company within the meaning of the Public Utilities Article, and, except as provided in this section and in § 3–102(b) of this subtitle, the jurisdiction and powers of the Public Service Commission do not extend to the Service.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2 - Maryland Environmental Trust › Part I - General Provisions › Section 3-201 - Established; Purpose; Perpetual Existence

(a)    (1)    There is a Maryland Environmental Trust established to conserve, improve, stimulate, and perpetuate the aesthetic, natural, health and welfare, scenic, and cultural qualities of the environment, including, but not limited to land, water, air, wildlife, scenic qualities, open spaces, buildings or any interest therein, and other appurtenances pertaining in any way to the State.
(2)    Through educational and other means, the Trust shall encourage and motivate the populace of the State and others to do so and shall promote continuing interest in and the study of these matters.
(3)    The purpose of the Trust is of general benefit to the citizens of the State, and it is charitable in nature.
(b)    The Trust has perpetual existence subject to modification or termination by the General Assembly if necessary to effectuate its purpose or when and if its substantial purpose ceases.
(c)    (1)    In this subsection, “ecosystem services” includes:
(i)    Climate resilience;
(ii)    Carbon sequestration;
(iii)    The provision of wildlife habitat;
(iv)    Contributions to forest health; and
(v)    The protection or restoration of wetlands.
(2)    An easement approved by the Trust may allow for the potential of economic return from the protection, management, maintenance, or improvement of ecosystem services provided by the property, so long as the Trust determines those uses do not impair or interfere with the conservation values and purposes of the easement and are otherwise consistent with the Trust’s policies related to ecosystem services.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2 - Maryland Environmental Trust › Part I - General Provisions › Section 3-203 - Powers and Duties of Trustees Generally

The trustees have the powers and duties to:
(1)    Receive annual appropriations as provided in the budget;
(2)    Sponsor, assist, conduct, or otherwise cause to be undertaken, comprehensive programs of research and education pertaining to the aesthetic, natural, health and welfare, scenic, or cultural qualities of the State environment, including the provision of financial grants to public and private agencies, organizations, and persons engaged by the trustees for consulting and other special participation in these programs;
(3)    Acquire and hold real and personal property, or any interest therein, of aesthetic, scenic, or cultural significance, or of significance to the health and welfare of the public, by lease, gift, purchase, devise, bequest, or by any other means, and conserve, improve, administer, invest, or dispose of the properties for the purposes of the Trust, and in the acquisition of these properties to acquire property adjacent thereto deemed necessary for the proper use and administration of the Trust;
(4)    Accept any gift. The trustees may expend both principal and income of any gift of money or invest it in whole or in part in general obligations of the State or other securities in furtherance of the Trust, as decided at a regular or special meeting, if a quorum is present, by the affirmative vote of a minimum of seven elected trustees;
(5)    Apply any money, assets, property or other things of value it may receive as an incident to its operation, to the general purposes of the Trust;
(6)    Cooperate with and assist as far as practicable, any unit of the State, any political subdivision, and any private, public, or federal agency, foundation, or person, in furtherance of the purposes of the Trust;
(7)    Take any action necessary or proper to effectuate the powers expressly conferred by this subtitle;
(8)    Adopt, subject to the terms of this subtitle, rules and regulations necessary or proper for the regulation of their own government or to effectuate the purpose of the Trust;
(9)    Delegate any of the powers conferred to any one or more of the trustees or the director of the Trust; and
(10)    Report annually to the Governor and, subject to § 2-1257 of the State Government Article, to the General Assembly on the Trust’s activities during the preceding year together with any recommendations or requests deemed appropriate to further the purposes of the Trust.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2 - Maryland Environmental Trust › Part I - General Provisions › Section 3-203.1 - Donation of Perpetual Conservation Easement

(a)    When any person offers to donate a perpetual conservation easement to the Maryland Environmental Trust, notification shall be mailed by the Maryland Environmental Trust to the appropriate governing body in which the land is located, as specified in subsection (b) of this section.
(b)    The appropriate governing body for the purposes of this section means:
(1)    The board of county commissioners in a commission county;
(2)    The county executive and county council in a charter home rule county;
(3)    The county commissioners in a Code home rule county; and
(4)    The Mayor and City Council in Baltimore City.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2 - Maryland Environmental Trust › Part I - General Provisions › Section 3-204 - Chair and Other Officers; Meetings; Quorum; Advisory Council

(a)    The trustees shall elect from among the elected membership a chair, secretary, and other officers as they determine.
(b)    The trustees shall meet at least four times a year at places and on dates they determine.
(c)    The chair may call other meetings, and must call one at the request of six or more trustees.
(d)    The secretary shall notify in writing every trustee of the time and place of every meeting at least seven days in advance of the meeting, except that meetings may be held on shorter notice if all trustees agree.
(e)    Ten trustees constitute a quorum to conduct business.
(f)    If at any time there is no director, the chair shall assume the director’s duties and powers.
(g)    The chair with the consent of the trustees may appoint an advisory council.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2 - Maryland Environmental Trust › Part I - General Provisions › Section 3-205 - Director and Other Employees

The trustees may appoint a director of the Trust to administer its activities subject to the trustees’ supervision. They may employ other persons as necessary. The director and staff are employees of the State, but the director shall not be a member of the skilled service or professional service, with the exception of special appointments. The trustees may remove the director at their will.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2 - Maryland Environmental Trust › Part I - General Provisions › Section 3-207 - Transfer of Money or Property to Trust; Grants From Federal Government or Political Subdivisions of State

The State may pay money or transfer property to the Trust to carry out the purposes of the Trust. The Trust may receive, manage, expend, and dispose of grants, money, and property from the federal government or political subdivision of the State.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2 - Maryland Environmental Trust › Part I - General Provisions › Section 3-208 - Selling, Conveying, Assigning, and Leasing Property; Contracts

Subject to the limitations of § 3–207 of this subtitle, the Trust may improve, sell, convey, assign, lease, or otherwise transfer or dispose of any property, or interest in property, it holds, and enter into any contract, easement, or other legal arrangement incident thereto, including but not limited to, the authority to lease properties for various commercial and residential uses consistent with the purposes of the Trust on terms and conditions the trustees deem appropriate. Any lease the trustees make shall be in immediate furtherance of the purposes of the Trust and not merely for investment purposes. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a lease the Trust makes may not be subject to redemption at the option of the tenant, unless expressly provided.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2 - Maryland Environmental Trust › Part I - General Provisions › Section 3-209 - Subcommittees Appointed by Political Subdivisions of State

Each State political subdivision, by appropriate action of its respective legislative body, may appoint a subcommittee to cooperate with, and work under, the guidance and control of the trustees of the Trust to further the objectives of the Trust at the local level.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2 - Maryland Environmental Trust › Part I - General Provisions › Section 3-210 - Functions and Activities of Governor's Committee to Keep Maryland Beautiful Transferred to Trust

Any function or activity of the Governor’s Committee to Keep Maryland Beautiful is transferred to the Trust. These functions and activities include, by way of enumeration and not limitation:
(1)    Educating Maryland citizens and visitors in their individual responsibility in litter prevention and care of the out–of–doors through a two–fold approach:
(i)    Awareness–publicity through radio, TV, newspapers, and other public media; and
(ii)    Action–cleanup and beautification projects carried out by civic organizations, county committees, and community groups in cooperation with public agencies;
(2)    Efficient use of public and private funds spent on cleaning up highways, parks, beaches, and other public and private property;
(3)    Increasing beauty through stimulation of private business, community, and public planting projects; and
(4)    Stimulating pride and appreciation for home, community, and State.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2 - Maryland Environmental Trust › Part I - General Provisions › Section 3-211 - Construction of Subtitle

The provisions relating to the Trust do not limit the power or activity of any unit of the State, any political subdivision, any private unit, or person interested in the aesthetic, natural, health and welfare, scenic, and cultural qualities of the environment of the State.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2A - Land Trust Grant Fund › Section 3-2A-02 - Establishment; Uses; Reimbursement; Administration

(a)    There is within the Department a Land Trust Grant Fund.
(b)    (1)    The Grant Fund shall be used as a nonlapsing revolving fund to make grants to land trusts in the State.
(2)    The Grant Fund may be used only to encourage the preservation and protection of open space and natural areas in the State.
(3)    When deemed appropriate by the Trust, grants from the Grant Fund to land trusts shall be reimbursable to the Grant Fund, subject to § 3–2A–08 of this subtitle.
(c)    (1)    The Maryland Environmental Trust shall administer the Grant Fund.
(2)    In addition to their other powers and duties under this title, the trustees of the Trust may take any action necessary or proper to administer the Grant Fund.
(d)    Funds shall be included in the Department’s annual budget for the costs of administering the Grant Fund.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2A - Land Trust Grant Fund › Section 3-2A-03 - Funding

(a)    All receipts designated for the Grant Fund shall be placed in the Grant Fund held by the Department and administered by the Trust, including:
(1)    Money appropriated by the State to the Grant Fund;
(2)    Premiums, fees, and payments on reimbursement of grants, where required;
(3)    Income from investments that the State Treasurer, on instruction of the Department, makes for the Department under this subtitle; and
(4)    Any other money made available to the Grant Fund.
(b)    Any unspent money in the Grant Fund at the end of the fiscal year shall remain in the Grant Fund and may not revert to the General Fund of the State.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2A - Land Trust Grant Fund › Section 3-2A-04 - Investments

(a)    If, at any time, the amount of money in the Grant Fund exceeds the amount that the Trust considers necessary currently to meet its expenses and obligations, the Department shall deposit the excess money with the State Treasurer, who shall invest the money in the manner provided for by law.
(b)    Annually, the State Treasurer shall report to the Department as to:
(1)    The status of the money invested under this subtitle;
(2)    The market value of the assets in the Grant Fund as of the date of the report; and
(3)    The interest received from investments for the Grant Fund during the period covered by the report.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2A - Land Trust Grant Fund › Section 3-2A-05 - Grants -- Authority; Conditions

(a)    Subject to conditions necessary to carry out the purposes and requirements of this subtitle, the Trust, on application by a land trust, may provide a grant to the applicant from the Grant Fund.
(b)    The Trust may make a grant to an applicant only if:
(1)    The applicant meets the qualifications required by this subtitle;
(2)    The grant is to be used only for the acquisition of interests or rights in real property for recreational or preservation purposes;
(3)    The Department approves the project as being in conformity with the Department’s criteria governing land acquired under a State grant from Program Open Space;
(4)    The trustees of the Trust approve the grant; and
(5)    The Board of Public Works approves the grant.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2A - Land Trust Grant Fund › Section 3-2A-06 - Applications for Grants

(a)    To apply for a grant, an applicant shall submit to the Trust an application in the form that the Trust requires.
(b)    The application shall include:
(1)    A detailed description of the proposed acquisition;
(2)    An itemization of known and estimated costs;
(3)    The total amount of investment required to acquire the property;
(4)    The funds available to the applicant without financial assistance from the Trust;
(5)    The amount of financial assistance sought from the Trust;
(6)    Information that relates to the financial status of the applicant; and
(7)    Any other relevant information that the Trust requests.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2A - Land Trust Grant Fund › Section 3-2A-07 - Considerations and Prerequisites for Grants

(a)    In making grants under this subtitle, the Trust shall give consideration to:
(1)    The amount of funds contributed to the project by the land trust as a match against the grant;
(2)    The amount of funds contributed to the project by parties other than the land trust or the Trust;
(3)    The natural resource, open space, or recreational value of the project;
(4)    Geographic distribution;
(5)    The degree of development pressure in the area; and
(6)    Whether the grant will be reimbursed to the Land Trust Grant Fund, as provided by § 3-2A-08 of this subtitle.
(b)    The Trust may not make a grant under this subtitle to a land trust unless the land trust:
(1)    Contributes an amount not less than 15% of the amount of the grant as a match; or
(2)    Agrees to resell the property to the Department or a local governing body as provided by § 5-903 or § 5-905 of this article.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2A - Land Trust Grant Fund › Section 3-2A-08 - Property of Land Trust

(a)    A land trust may, with the approval of the Trust, subsequently sell or transfer the acquired property to a third party.
(b)    As a condition of the grant, the Trust may require the dedication of a conservation easement on or reversionary interest in the property in favor of the Trust.
(c)    (1)    Grants awarded to land trusts under this subtitle may be fully or partially reimbursed to the Land Trust Grant Fund under the general conditions set forth in paragraph (2) of this subsection, to be further specified by the Trust in the grant conditions.
(2)    When land or an interest in land is acquired by the land trust with a grant under this subtitle, on resale of the property a proportion of the money from the resale shall be repaid to the Land Trust Grant Fund as may be provided in the grant conditions.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2A - Land Trust Grant Fund › Section 3-2A-12 - False Statements or Reports; Penalties for Violation of Subtitle

(a)    A person may not knowingly make or cause to be made any false statement or report, including any understatement or overstatement of financial condition for a new grant or affecting a grant already made under this subtitle:
(1)    In any application or in any document furnished to the Trust; or
(2)    For the purpose of influencing the action of the Trust on an application for financial assistance or for the purpose of influencing any action of the Trust affecting financial assistance whether or not such assistance may have already been extended.
(b)    Any person or any aider or abettor, who violates any provision of this subtitle, is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or imprisonment in the penitentiary not exceeding 5 years or both.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2A - Land Trust Grant Fund › Section 3-2A-14 - Annual Reports

(a)    The Trust shall report on or before September 1 of each year to the Governor, the budget committees of the General Assembly, and the Department of Legislative Services on the status of the Grant Fund as of the end of the previous fiscal year.
(b)    The Trust’s report shall include:
(1)    The total amounts of funds expended;
(2)    The total amounts of funds committed;
(3)    The total amounts of funds remaining;
(4)    A list of projects for which funds have been expended or are committed;
(5)    A projection of projects in the near future for which grants will be made;
(6)    An assessment of which grants are expected to be fully or partially reimbursable to the Grant Fund;
(7)    An evaluation of the program’s effectiveness; and
(8)    Projections as to future funding needs.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 2A - Land Trust Grant Fund › Section 3-2A-01

(a)    In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.
(b)    “Department” means the Department of Natural Resources.
(c)    “Grant Fund” means the Land Trust Grant Fund established under § 3-2A-02 of this subtitle.
(d)    “Land trust” means a qualified conservation organization that:
(1)    Is a qualified organization under § 170(h)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and regulations adopted under § 170(h)(3); and
(2)    Has executed a cooperative agreement with the Maryland Environmental Trust.
(e)    “Trust” means the Maryland Environmental Trust.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 3 - Power Plant Research Program › Section 3-301 - Definitions

(a)    In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.
(b)    “Fund” means Environmental Trust Fund.
(c)    “Generator lead route” and “route” means a transmission line from a generation site to the first substation or substations connecting the line to the grid.
(d)    “Program” means a continuing research program for electric power plant site evaluation and related environmental land use considerations.
(e)    “Secretary” means Secretary of Natural Resources.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 3 - Power Plant Research Program › Section 3-303.1 - Solar Generation Facilities -- Pollinator-Friendly Designation

(a)    The Department, in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, shall designate a solar generation facility as pollinator–friendly if the solar generation facility meets the requirements of this section.
(b)    The Department shall adopt a Solar Site Pollinator Habitat Planning and Assessment scorecard that:
(1)    Has been recommended by the University of Maryland bee lab;
(2)    May be updated or amended only once every 2 years; and
(3)    Applies only to solar generation facilities.
(c)    (1)    A solar generation facility may be designated as pollinator–friendly only by the Department.
(2)    A solar generation facility may be designated by the Department as pollinator–friendly if:
(i)    The solar generation facility:
1.    Is ground–mounted;
2.    Is at least 1 acre in size; and
3.    Meets or exceeds the minimum score identified in the Solar Site Pollinator Habitat Planning and Assessment scorecard; and
(ii)    The land on which the solar generation facility is located is planted and managed in accordance with a pollinator–friendly vegetation management standard or pollinator habitat plan evaluated under § 3–303(b)(9) of this subtitle by the power plant research program.
(d)    The owner of a solar generation facility may not claim that the facility is pollinator–friendly or that the facility provides benefits to pollinators, song birds, or game birds unless the facility has been designated as pollinator–friendly by the Department in accordance with this section.
(e)    The owner of a pollinator–friendly solar generation facility shall provide appropriate maintenance of the pollinator vegetation.
(f)    The owner of a pollinator–friendly solar generation facility shall make the facility’s pollinator–friendly vegetation management standard or pollinator habitat plan evaluated under § 3–303(b)(9) of this subtitle by the power plant research program available to the Maryland, DC, and Virginia Solar Energy Industries Association or other nonprofit solar industry trade associations.
(g)    Nothing in this section restricts any farming practices on any land adjacent to the land on which a solar generation facility is located.
(h)    The Department may charge the owner of a solar generation facility a reasonable fee to cover costs associated with designating the solar generation facility as pollinator–friendly.
(i)    The Department shall adopt regulations to carry out this section.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 3 - Power Plant Research Program › Section 3-306.1 - Use of Sites in Inventory Without Regard to Local Zoning Rule, Etc

In view of the safeguards provided by this subtitle through State units, and to assure the controlling effect of their determinations, any property certified as a suitable site by the Secretary of Natural Resources and placed in inventory as provided in this subtitle or any sites acquired and placed in inventory as provided in this subtitle shall be used and operated for electric generating and associated on-site transmission purposes without regard to any local zoning rule, regulation, law, or ordinance, and this use is not required to be submitted to or approved by any county or municipal zoning board, authority, or unit.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 3A - Acid Deposition › Section 3-3A-01 - Definitions

(a)    In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.
(b)    “Acid deposition” means the process whereby acid–forming chemical compounds are transported from the atmosphere to the surface of the earth.
(c)    “Acid deposition precursor” means an air contaminant that may be transformed to an acid gas or particle in the atmosphere.
(d)    “Commission” means the Maryland Public Service Commission.
(e)    “Departments” means the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of the Environment.
(f)    “Participating agencies” means the Commission, the People’s Counsel of the Public Service Commission, and the Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, and Transportation, and the Department of Planning.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 3A - Acid Deposition › Section 3-3A-02 - Responsibilities of Director of Power Plant Siting and Research Program; Evaluations; Consultation With Interested Parties

(a)    The Director of the Power Plant Siting and Research Program shall be responsible for the direction and coordination of the activities required under this subtitle.
(b)    (1)    To the extent funds are provided in the State budget, the departments, in cooperation with the participating agencies, shall conduct a comprehensive evaluation of:
(i)    The sources of acid deposition received in the State;
(ii)    The impact of acid deposition on the State;
(iii)    Any available effective methods to alleviate any significant adverse impact on the State; and
(iv)    The costs of the available effective methods to alleviate any significant adverse impact on the State.
(2)    The departments shall utilize the results of studies conducted by other organizations where applicable and shall conduct independent research and monitoring studies where necessary.
(c)    (1)    The departments, in cooperation with the participating agencies, shall consult with and involve interested parties, including affected private sector industries and resource conservationists, in the comprehensive evaluation in subsection (b)(1) of this section.
(2)    The interested parties shall participate in the planning of the research program and monitoring activities, the design of specific projects, the review of the results of studies, and the production of final reports.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 4 - Center for Environmental Science › Section 3-402 - Supervision, Direction and Control of Center; Academic Rank and Faculty Status of Director and Staff

The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science shall be under the supervision, direction, and control of the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland. Academic rank and faculty status may be assigned to the director and qualified personnel staff members.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 4 - Center for Environmental Science › Section 3-403 - Functions and Duties of Center; Research and Educational Program; Collection of Research Samples

(a)    The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science shall conduct a comprehensive program to develop and apply predictive ecology for Maryland to the improvement and preservation of the physical environment, through a program of research, public service, and education. The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science shall perform the following functions:
(1)    Maintain liaison with the State to identify the important regional and environmental problems, including the relationship to the use of the waters of the State and in particular those environmental problems affecting the waters of the Chesapeake Bay;
(2)    Inventory appropriate:
(i)    Professional individuals;
(ii)    Organizations which are private, public, and commercial;
(iii)    Facilities; and
(iv)    Programs, including:
1.    Educational;
2.    Research and development; and
3.    Public service;
(3)    Arrange or prepare critical reviews, analyses, summaries of present levels of understanding and technical status reports on topical environmental problems, in formats ranging in depth from informal consultation to formal reports;
(4)    Assist the development and coordination of single or multidisciplinary programs and projects on the environment at public and private educational and research institutes;
(5)    Develop and promote environmental educational programs in the State;
(6)    Conduct environmental research programs;
(7)    Implement a program of environmental education to include participation in undergraduate and graduate collegiate programs, assist public and private educational systems, and participate in the education of the public and environmental fields;
(8)    Implement joint graduate degree programs and post baccalaureate certificate programs, if authorized by the Maryland Higher Education Commission and the Board of Regents of the University System of Maryland in accordance with the Education Article;
(9)    Perform other acts of public service relating to the environment in the best interest of the citizens of the State; and
(10)    Implement the application of the institutional and physical resources of the University to the needs of State agencies in environmental matters.
(b)    The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science staff may collect any animal, plant, and other sample and use any collection device, technique, and seizure necessary for and pertinent to its research, public service and education program.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 5 - Irreplaceable Natural Areas Program › Section 3-501 - Definitions

(a)    In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.
(b)    “Biodiversity” means the full range of living organisms native to a region.
(c)    “Irreplaceable natural area” means an area with habitat necessary to support:
(1)    A unique natural community; or
(2)    A plant or animal species listed as threatened or endangered under Title 10, Subtitle 2A of this article.
(d)    “Program” means the Irreplaceable Natural Areas Program.
(e)    “Unique natural community” means an area that:
(1)    Has an assemblage of native plants or animals that is rare or declining in the State; or
(2)    Supports an unusually pristine example of a native ecosystem type.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 5 - Irreplaceable Natural Areas Program › Section 3-502 - Irreplaceable Natural Areas Program -- Purpose of Program

(a)    There is an Irreplaceable Natural Areas Program in the Department.
(b)    The purpose of the Program is to preserve Maryland’s native biodiversity on State–owned land managed by the Department for current and future residents of the State.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 5 - Irreplaceable Natural Areas Program › Section 3-503 - Adoption of Certain Regulations

On or before July 1, 2023, the Department shall adopt regulations to carry out this subtitle, including regulations:
(1)    Designating irreplaceable natural areas on State–owned land managed by the Department; and
(2)    Establishing management objectives for irreplaceable natural areas, including:
(i)    A map depicting boundaries for each area;
(ii)    A description of the unique features and threats for each area; and
(iii)    Compatible and incompatible activities for each area.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 6 - Maryland Deepwater Port Siting Act › Section 3-601 - Purpose

The General Assembly finds and declares that the increasing energy requirements of the State and nation continue to exceed domestic sources of energy supply and that demand must be met, at least in the near future, by imported oil. Construction of deepwater ports in waters adjacent to the continental shelf of the United States could accommodate oil tenders too large for present ports and port facilities. As compared to smaller tanker systems, transfer of oil to the United States by these large tankers may have certain advantages, including assured access to the world’s total petroleum shipping fleet, a reduction in economic costs and safety hazards, increased transportation efficiency, and reduced environmental hazards to harbors and shorelines. The legislature, in recognition of these objectives and those of protecting the coastal environment, regulating growth and determining land use, and in order to carry out its delegated responsibilities under the federal Deepwater Port Act of 1974, hereby defines the policy and procedure to advance and protect the interests of the people of the State of Maryland in the location, construction and operation of deepwater ports in the waters beyond the State.
2023 Maryland Statutes › Natural Resources › Title 3 - Environmental Programs › Subtitle 6 - Maryland Deepwater Port Siting Act › Section 3-602 - Definitions

(a)    In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.
(b)    “Adjacent coastal state” means any coastal state which:
(1)    Would be connected directly by pipeline to a deepwater port, as proposed in an application;
(2)    Would be located within 15 miles of any proposed deepwater port; or
(3)    Is so designated by the federal Secretary in accordance with § 9(a)(2) of the federal act.
(c)    “Application” means any application submitted under the federal act for:
(1)    A license for the ownership, construction, and operation of a deepwater port;
(2)    Transfer of any license; or
(3)    Any substantial change in any of the conditions and provisions of any license.
(d)    “Coastal environment” means the State’s navigable waters and the adjacent shorelines. The term includes transitional and intertidal areas, bays, lagoons, salt marshes, estuaries, and beaches and their fish, wildlife and other living resources, and the recreational and scenic values of the lands, waters and resources.
(e)    “Deepwater port” means any fixed or floating manmade structure other than a vessel, or any group of structures, located beyond territorial waters of a state and off the coast of the United States and which are used or intended for use as a port or terminal for the loading or unloading and further handling of hydrocarbons and their products for transportation to any state, except as otherwise provided in § 23 of the federal act. A deepwater port is a “new source” for purposes of the federal Clean Air Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.
(f)    “Federal act” means the federal Deepwater Port Act of 1974.
(g)    “Federal Secretary” means the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation.
(h)    “Hydrocarbon” means petroleum, crude oil, any substance refined from petroleum or crude oil and natural gas.
(i)    “Marine environment” means the coastal environment, State waters of the contiguous zone, and State waters of the high seas; the fish, wildlife, and other living resources of the waters; and the recreational and scenic values of the waters and resources.