Bill > HB701

This bill, the Vernal Pool Wetlands Protection Act of 2026, requires the Department of the Environment to create regulations to identify and protect "qualified vernal pools," which are specific types of small, temporary pools that support certain species, and their surrounding buffer areas. These qualified vernal pools are defined as depressions holding water for part of the year, providing habitat for species dependent on them, like native amphibians, and importantly, they do not meet the criteria for protection as larger "nontidal wetlands" under federal or state law. The bill outlines what constitutes a "regulated activity" within these pools or their buffers, such as excavation, altering drainage, or removing vegetation, but excludes agricultural and forestry activities. The Department will establish a list of these qualified vernal pools and set standards for their protection, including requirements for permit applicants to avoid, minimize, and compensate for any unavoidable impacts to these pools and their buffers, with protections for listed pools within a permit's geographic area. The regulations will aim to align buffer and mitigation requirements with those for nontidal wetlands and will take effect on October 1, 2026.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0701?ys=2026RS