Worcester County staff recommend elevating Priority Preservation Area to chapter status and adding fisheries; staff note solar siting law could affect PPA lands

County staff and a consultant recommended that Worcester County elevate the Priority Preservation Area (PPA) material and related agricultural topics to chapter status in the comprehensive plan and fold fisheries information into that chapter or a closely linked section.

Why it matters: retaining agricultural preservation certification requires an updated PPA in the comprehensive plan, and staff warned the county needs to show current data and a framework for agricultural and forestry resources. Staff also said recent state solar siting legislation includes a 5 percent threshold for PPA lands; staff estimated that, under current mapping and rules, just over 9,700 acres of PPA-eligible land could be affected by the new siting rule.

Staff described the county’s agricultural economy as substantial and said the original PPA in the county’s prior plan occupied only six to seven pages; the volume of material now argues for a full chapter. A county subject-matter expert said the PPA update should include fisheries and that the consultant has been working with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on fisheries material before presenting it to the commission.

The commission and staff discussed how the PPA chapter might be organized and where overlapping content should appear in the plan (for example, the agriculture chapter could cross‑reference environmental, fisheries and land‑use sections). Staff emphasized the value of local knowledge: the commission’s experience will be used to “ground truth” draft maps and policy language. The consultant asked commissioners to review draft material and raise any discrepancies they see when the draft is circulated.

The consultant and staff said they will draft a chapter-length PPA/agriculture and fisheries element (or a large section) and circulate it for the commission’s review and comment. No formal action or vote was taken; the item was discussed as part of the planning process and will return in draft form for commission review.

Staff also warned the commission that the new solar siting rules may change siting standards beyond current county zoning, potentially exposing PPA lands to different siting pressures; staff said that detail will be included in the PPA update so commissioners can evaluate trade-offs and policy choices.

Ending: staff and the consultant will prepare draft chapter material, coordinate fisheries content with DNR, and provide the commission draft language and maps for review at a future meeting.