This project will focus on 1) improving regulatory project reviewer and public access to resource, environmental justice, and climate change information and 2) expanding protection of high quality…

This Cooperative Agreement award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Regional Wetland Program Development Grants (CFDA 66.461) will focus on two primary objectives: 1) Improving regulatory reviewer and public access to resource, environmental justice, and climate change information, and 2) Expanding protection of high-quality wetland and aquatic resources in Maryland by incorporating management recommendations into existing tools.

The $585,609 award to the Maryland Department of the Environment, in partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, will support the development of a web-based screening application with updated environmental justice data and new management recommendations to guide permitting decisions. The project will also create new educational materials on the benefits of non-tidal wetlands, which will be made available online and in multiple languages. These activities are intended to ensure that disadvantaged communities in Maryland share in the benefits provided by the state's wetlands and waterways.

This project will focus on 1) improving regulatory project reviewer and public access to resource, environmental justice, and climate change information and 2) expanding protection of high quality wetland and aquatic resources by incorporating management recommendations into existing tools such as maryland department of the environment (MDE) screening maps and the watershed resources registry (WRR) for identified sensitive species and areas. A prioritized review system for applications in regulated wetland and water resources will also be created by MDE and the maryland department of natural resources (DNR). This project will thus ensure that the disadvantaged communities share in the benefits provided by wetlands and waterways. Activities:MDE proposes to work with the maryland environmental service (MES) and DNR to migrate the existing screening application to a more sustainable, web-based system including up-to-date environmental justice information along with new management recommendations to be prepared by DNR to guide MDE decisions and conditions for maintaining critical living resources. Management recommendations would also be added to an internal MDE review and for more general information in a public facing web system and potentially the watershed resources registry (WRR). This project will also improve review and protection of sensitive wetland and aquatic resources in maryland, including those having significant plant and wildlife value (including nontidal wetlands of special state concern, vernal pools, other state-listed rare species and rare community types), and those located in tier II high quality watersheds and/or supporting coldwater-dependent species. In addition, MDE will also create new educational information (fact sheets, storyboards/maps, infographics, and videos) on the benefits provided by nontidal wetlands. These will be made available online as well as in multiple languages to increase communications, and MDE will identify local community-based partners and outreach events within cejst-identified priority areas to share this information on a local level. Subrecipient:no subawards are included in this assistance agreement.outcomes:deliverables/outputs include (1) a literature review and management recommendations that consider effects of climate change on sensitive resources; (2) creation of new data and maps on sensitive resources; (3) creation of outreach and educational material with a focus on cejst-identified communities; and (4) creation of a web-based screening tool. Primary beneficiaries include residents of maryland.