MDE Stops "Sprawl Highway" Project in Southern Maryland

In a major victory for conservation and clean water over suburban sprawl development, the Maryland Department of the Environment has denied a wetlands destruction permit for a highway called the Cross County Connector in Charles County.

The state environmental agency sent a letter on November 1 to the Charles County Government informing the county that “final decision of the department is to deny the county’s application” for a nontidal wetlands permit essential to the construction of the highway. 

The Cross-County Connector would have encouraged spread-out suburban residential development and acres of blacktop in a largely wooded area of southern Maryland.  The road and its radiating sprawl would have added gouts of runoff pollution to the Mattawoman Creek, which is one of the most productive fish breeding grounds in the Chesapeake Bay region.

The decision was a rare and encouraging move, as the vast majority of proposed wetlands destruction permits are approved by Maryland and surrounding states. For example, in 2009, the Maryland Department of the Environment approved 99.7 percent of the applications for permits and letters of authorization to destroy wetlands, with 1,967 approvals and only 5 denials that year, according to records of the state agency.

The action to stop the “Sprawl Highway” was a major victory for Bonnie Bick, a southern Maryland environmental activist named as the “conservationist of the year” by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, as well as Jim Long and several other local activists who have worked hard for years to preserve the rural character and water quality of the Mattawoman Creek watershed.

 “We are ecstatic,” said Terry Cummings of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, who has also worked hard for better planning in rural southern Maryland.  “We are extremely pleased that the Maryland Department of the Environment has recognized the significant negative ramifications of this project and denied the permit.”

Cummings said he is looking forward to working with Charles County officials on a new long-term plan for the region that uses smarter alternative ways to develop that will not destroy water quality or woodlands.

To read the decision letter yourself, click here.

By Tom Pelton

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

(Photo by Krista Schlyer, International League of Conservation Photographers)

Comments

[Maury Tobin]

This, of course, is great news and it wouldn't have happened with the support of CBF and Terry Cummings.

http://www.wemakeitnews.com has produced 3 short audio interviews to guage reaction to the blockbuster news.

[Maury Tobin]

The word should have been "without," not "with."

Dummy.

[Cheryl Thomas]

This is wonderful, HOWEVER, there is a likelihood that this decision may be appealed. There are two County Commissioners who supported this "development corridor" - Commissioners Davis and Collins. Commissioner Rucci would be the "tiebreaker" regarding any vote to appeal. Developers are likely to bombard the Commissioners to appeal, so it is extremely important that opponents of an appeal also voice their opinions!