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Council reviews rewrite to clarify enforcement of clearing and pruning in critical and conservation areas
Summary
Bill 67-25 would clarify county code definitions for clearing and pruning, create a ‘pruning’ term tied to ANSI A300, and add a Habitat Enhancement Plan pathway allowing larger managed vegetation work (up to 1 acre) in sensitive buffers; staff said changes respond to litigation and enforcement ambiguity.
On Sept. 9 the Anne Arundel County Council reviewed Bill 67-25, a rewrite of clearing, pruning and related provisions in the county’s floodplain/erosion and stormwater management code intended to clarify enforcement and create a streamlined approval option for larger vegetative management.
Kelly Kenny, Supervising County Attorney, said the rewrite is intended to “clarify the county's existing violations” after enforcement interpretations were challenged in court. Kenny explained the bill separates the definition of clearing (moved into Article 16) from the more complex cross-references that previously required staff — and sometimes judges — to trace multiple code sections to reach a violation. “This bill really helps kind of stop that matrix,” she said, adding the activity defined is the same…
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