The County has accumulated over $4 million in unspent land preservation funds designated to be used for the Purchase and Retirement (PAR) Fund. The program retires (permanently removes) Transferable Development Rights (TDRs) from the market, thereby protecting farmland. On September 24th, the Board of County Commissioners approved purchasing Transferable Development Rights (TDRs) at the rate…
On Saturday July 27th, about twenty-five paddlers set off toward the upper reaches of the Hunting Creek. This portion of the creek is bordered by marshes with an amazing quantity of wild rice. Wild rice is a native marsh plant that is relatively rare these days. We were also greeted on our trip by the…
Tier maps are mandated by Maryland law to limit the impact of septic systems on the Chesapeake Bay. However, tier maps do not preserve land as was stated at the Comprehensive Plan Public Hearing and implied by Planning Director Mark Willis on July 30th at the County Commissioner’s meeting. Tier maps do not contribute to…
Sustainable Calvert Network is asking the Board of County Commissioners to restore land preservation funding back to at least $2.5 million. According to a recent Preserve Maryland Survey, more than 75% of Calvert County Residents support protecting agricultural lands and waterways. So why would the funds put aside for land preservation be cut by more than 50%? These…
“Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us dare to do our duty, as we understand it.” Abe Lincoln The Board of County Commissioners has scheduled a public hearing at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30th at the Calvert Pines Auditorium on Dares Beach Road to consider the Comprehensive…
Calvert County citizens love Calvert County and are interested in seeing it growing sustainably in a way that protects our ecosystem, promotes healthy communities for all residents, and provides suitable jobs for our residents and the creation of a strong economy. There is a great deal that is good in the Calvert County Comprehensive Plan…
The Purchase and Retirement Fund is a key component of Calvert County’s overall land preservation and growth control strategy and should be fully funded. It allows prime farm and forestland owners to permanently protect their own lands while protecting Calvert’s rural character. We all win. A farmers’ equity is tied up in the farm, much…
Smart Growth Maryland commissioned a poll conducted by OpinionWorks, just released today, that confirms all that Sustainable Calvert Network (SCN) has been saying about the desires and concerns of Calvert County residents. According to the poll, 87% of county residents support protecting waterways like the Chesapeake Bay, Patuxent River and local creeks and 79% support…
The Sustainable Calvert Network and the Huntingtown Civic Association are holding a Calvert County Commissioners Candidates Forum from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m on October 15th at the Calvert County Fairgrounds on MD 231. Prior to the Forum, we asked the candidates to answer eight questions, some open ended and others multiple choice. Not everyone…
How do candidates feel about important Calvert County land use issues? All Calvert County Commissioner candidates were given three weeks to complete a survey initiated by the Sustainable Calvert Network, the Dunkirk Area Concerned Citizens Association, and the Huntingtown Civic Association. Mike Hart and Kelley McConkey did not respond. Seventeen candidates did: Mark Arness, Matt…