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Friend of Hunting Creek urges stronger slope protections and recognition of ecosystem values
Summary
Bob Estes, representing Friends of Hunting Creek, urged commissioners to consider ecosystem values beyond market value when evaluating land and recommended ordinance language protecting slopes greater than 25% with an additional 50% margin to reduce erosion risk.
During public comment, Bob Estes, speaking for Friends of Hunting Creek, urged the Planning Commission to incorporate ecosystem-service values into evaluation of preserved land and TDR pricing and to explicitly account for steep-slope erosion risk when establishing buildable acreage.
"My name is Bob Estes, and I'll be speaking for Friends of Hunting Creek tonight," he said. Estes told commissioners that steep slopes and fragile soils contribute significant ecological value beyond simple market calculations and recommended that the county adopt a minimum protection standard for slopes greater than 25 percent with a 50 percent buffer margin and consider protections for slopes of 15 percent and higher in some cases.
He explained that slope erosion contributes sediment to Hunting Creek, the Patuxent River and the Bay, that small slopes can erode depending on soil fragility, and that on-the-ground observation sometimes reveals more vulnerability than desktop mapping. Estes asked the commission to consider those values in the ordinance language rather than solely in the Prince Frederick plan.
Staff acknowledged the comments and confirmed that such technical concerns would be considered in ordinance drafting and the zoning update process.
