Before you begin any activities on property located within the
Critical Area, your first stop is your town or county planning
department.
First Stop for the Bay currently focuses on Maryland’s
Mid-Shore, in Caroline, Kent, Talbot, and Queen Anne’s
counties. The Green Book for the Bay addresses Critical Area
concerns related directly to these four counties.
However, the basic concept of contacting your town or county
planning office to obtain information about local Critical Area
regulations and permitting requirements applies throughout the
Critical Area in Maryland.
Staff at local planning offices can confirm whether your property
is located in the Critical Area, direct you to the appropriate
regulations, and provide guidance on plans, permits, and approvals
needed to meet both local and Critical Area requirements. A street
address and/or tax map and parcel number (depending on jurisdiction)
is needed for officials to identify properties in the Critical
Area.
For general guidance on Critical Area and the law in
Maryland, contact the Critical Area Commission:
Critical Area Commission for the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal
Bays
1804 West Street, Suite 100
Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 260-3460 www.dnr.state.md.us/criticalarea/
Mid-Shore County Planning
Offices
Caroline County Department of Planning, Codes and Engineering
Health & Public Services Building
403 South 7th Street, Suite 210
Denton, MD 21629-1335
(410) 479-8100 www.carolineplancode.org
Kent County Department of Planning, Housing and Zoning
400 High Street
Chestertown, MD 21620
(410) 778-7475 www.kentcounty.com/gov/planzone/
Queen Anne’s County Land Use, Growth Management and Environment
160 Coursevall Drive
Centreville, MD 21617
(410) 758-1255 www.qac.org
Talbot County Office of Planning and Zoning
28712 Glebe Rd, Suite 2
Easton, MD 21601
(410) 770-8030 www.talbotcountymd.gov
First Stop for the Bay/
Shore Land Stewardship Council
Adkins Arboretum
P.O. Box 100
Ridgely, MD 21660
410-634-2847, ext. 0 FirstStop@AdkinsArboretum.org
