Establish ongoing climate adaptation forums and educational resources for local jurisdictions and other stakeholders, including local exchanges on coastal resiliency best practices and the Association of Climate Change Officers training.

Timeline (Years)

Timeline

2020
Years 0-2
2026

Resources

 

Other State Plans

Areas of Critical State Concern

State Programs Provided to Local Jurisdictions

Other Resources

2022 Water Resources Element Guidance Update

The Water Resources Element (WRE), a statutory requirement for local comprehensive plans, is designed to ensure that local plans for growth and development can be supported given limitations and constraints of water resources and water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure. This WRE Guidance Update provides best practices for considering and addressing water-related climate change impacts, and for addressing the challenges that growth and development pose to our collective efforts to protect and restore Maryland waterbodies. The WRE Guidance Update outlines best practices and is an advisory document. Comprehensive planning, including WRE development, is a local government decision.

Coast Smart Climate Ready Action Boundary (CS-CRAB) Map

The Coast Smart Climate Ready Action Boundary (CS-CRAB) map was developed in a multi-agency effort by the Maryland Coast Smart Council to identify and mitigate future flood risk to the state's existing infrastructure. The data product was created leveraging existing FEMA regulatory boundaries and infusing an additional three feet of water elevation to determine the new water surface elevations and potential flooding extents (up and out).

Ecosystem Services

The benefits people gain from the environment can be collectively referred to as Ecosystem Services, which are commonly divided into four major categories: provisioning services (e.g. timber, firewood, food), regulating services (e.g. water purification, wildlife habitat), supporting services (e.g. nutrient cycling, soil formation) and cultural services (e.g. recreation, spiritual benefits.

Maryland Coastal Atlas

The Coastal Atlas is a mapping tool that allows state and local decision-makers to visually analyze and explore coastal and ocean data layers for project and planning purposes. Using the built-in tools, the user can query, map, and analyze spatial data to better understand Maryland's marine resources.

Maryland Growth & Conservation Analysis Tool

The Growth and Conservation Overlay interactive map shows local and state targeted growth and conservation areas for coordinated planning, management and resource allocation. The purpose of these areas is to identify where and how local and state government, as well as the private sector, can work together to achieve common goals.

Maryland InfoPortal

Maryland InfoPortal is the best one stop for finding financial and non-financial assistance, containing links to 700-plus state programs providing financial, non-financial and technical assistance and direct development to local government, civic and private organizations, and individuals.

Maryland’s Plan to Adapt to Saltwater Intrusion and Salinization

Pursuant to Chapter 628 of the 2018 Laws of Maryland, the Maryland General Assembly tasked the Maryland Department of Planning (Planning) to “establish a plan to adapt to saltwater intrusion,” in consultation with the Maryland Departments of Natural Resources, Environment and Agriculture, Planning presents in this plan, as a result of collaboration with many state agency, university, and other partners, a first state-level report on this issue. The plan is a first step towards better understanding and addressing saltwater intrusion and salinization in Maryland. To varying degrees, saltwater intrusion and salinization already impacts Maryland’s groundwater, surface waters, wetlands, coastal forests, agriculture and infrastructure; however, there is currently no comprehensive understanding of all of the areas currently at risk, and limited knowledge of which areas are at risk in the future. To determine current and future areas at risk, extensive research, modeling and monitoring is recommended.

MDOT Environmental Programs Interactive Map

A series of storymaps of MDOT's comprehensive systems approach to environmental stewardship.

Medusa - Maryland’s Cultural Resource Information System

Medusa, the Maryland Historical Trust's online database of architectural and archeological sites and standing structures is the official repository for the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties (MIHP), which includes both architectural resources and archeological sites.

Reducing Maryland’s Vulnerability to Climate Change Phase I: Sea-level rise and coastal storms

Maryland’s Climate Action Plan includes two climate change adaptation strategies that are currently being used to guide state-level adaptation planning efforts. The first strategy (Phase I) addresses the impacts associated with sea level rise and coastal storms.

Reducing Maryland’s Vulnerability to Climate Change Phase II: Building societal, economic, and ecological resilience

Maryland’s Climate Action Plan includes two climate change adaptation strategies that are currently being used to guide state-level adaptation planning efforts. The second strategy (Phase II) addresses changes in precipitation patterns and increased temperature, and the likely impacts to human health, agriculture, forest and terrestrial ecosystems, bay and aquatic environments, water resources, and population growth and infrastructure.

Weather It Together

The Maryland Historical Trust offers a Weather It Together program, providing technical assistance to aid local governments in three key areas: hazard mitigation planning, disaster response and recovery, and climate change adaptation.

State Visions

Plan Objectives

State Agencies Involved