Section 16-303 - Modification of wetlands maps.
§ 16-303. Modification of wetlands maps.
(a) Power of Secretary.- The Secretary may:
(1) Modify, correct, or update the boundary maps established under § 16-301 of this subtitle; or
(2) Amend the regulations adopted under § 16-302 of this subtitle.
(b) Notice.- The Secretary shall notify members of the public and affected property owners of proposed changes to wetlands maps or regulations as follows:
(1) A public hearing on proposed changes shall be held in each county in which affected wetlands are located; and
(2) Notice of proposed changes and of the public hearing shall be:
(i) Published in the Maryland Register;
(ii) Published at least once not more than 30 days and not fewer than 10 days before the date of the hearing in at least 1 newspaper published within and having a general circulation in every county where the affected wetlands are located, according to the advice of the county executive or president of the county commissioners;
(iii) Posted by the Department in the offices of each county government at locations that will best inform the public according to the advice of the county executive or president of the county commissioners; and
(iv) For proposed changes to wetlands maps and not for proposed changes to regulations, mailed by the Department by certified mail not less than 30 days before the public hearing to each owner shown on the tax records as an owner of land affected by a modification, correction, or update of the boundary map.
(c) Filing.- Each revised map and amended regulation shall be filed among the land records in accordance with § 16-301(d) of this subtitle.
(d) Amendment not deemed to alter boundaries of Chesapeake Bay Critical Area.-
(1) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (2) of this subsection, the amendment of a wetlands boundary map under this section may not be deemed to alter the boundaries of the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area designated under § 8-1807 of the Natural Resources Article.
(2) The boundaries of the Critical Area may be amended under § 8-1809 of the Natural Resources Article.
[1989, ch. 311; 1990, ch. 6, § 2; 1995, ch. 488, §§ 3, 16.]