Harford County Seeks Public Input on Green Infrastructure Plan Draft; Open House September 27

From Harford County government:

Harford County will hold an open house on Thursday, September 27 to gather citizen input on proposed implementation strategies for the county’s first Green Infrastructure Plan. A draft of the plan will be published on the county website and presented at the open house planned from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Harford Community College’s Chesapeake Center.

Green infrastructure is an interconnected network of green spaces that supports natural ecosystems, preserves water resources, improves stormwater management, promotes healthy communities and spurs economic development.

With financial assistance and support from partners including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Harford County Green Infrastructure Plan will detail the delineation of a countywide green infrastructure network. This network will include the identification of major wildlife corridors and other significant natural areas throughout the county. Implementation of the Harford County plan will be driven by the county Department of Planning & Zoning, with opportunities for volunteer citizen involvement. The plan itself is an implementation of HarfordNEXT, the countywide master plan developed by the Department under the administration of County Executive Barry Glassman.

Publication of the Harford County Green Infrastructure Plan draft follows an introductory workshop held in the fall of 2016 and an open house in February 2018 for the public to learn about green infrastructure and provide feedback on the development process. The September open house will provide citizens and stakeholders with the opportunity to ask questions about the data in the draft and help prioritize implementation strategies. The final draft of the Harford County Green Infrastructure Plan is scheduled to be completed by October 2018.

For more information about green infrastructure planning in Harford County, please visit http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/2461/Green-Infrastructure-Plan. Questions and comments about the plan may also be emailed to balong@harfordcountymd.gov, please include “GI Plan” in the subject line, or mailed to Harford County Department of Planning and Zoning, Attn: GI Plan, 220 S. Main Street, Bel Air, MD 21014.