Public Hearing: Amendments to Chapter 298 Forest Conservation Ordinance

PUBLIC NOTICE

Amendments to Chapter 298 Forest Conservation Ordinance

Notice is hereby given that the Planning Commission of Charles County, Maryland will conduct a Public Hearing on September 21, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. to consider a comprehensive update to Chapter 298 of the Code of Charles County, Maryland. The meeting will be held in the Government Building Conference Room ("Blue Room") and via video teleconference. The hearing is open to the public, and public testimony is encouraged.

The Maryland Forest Conservation Act is locally implemented through the Charles County Forest Conservation Ordinance, Chapter 298. The primary purpose of the Ordinance is to minimize the loss of forest in Charles County during development, by identifying and protecting forests and other sensitive areas. Since the last update to the Charles County Forest Conservation Ordinance in 2004, there has been new legislation at the state level which requires amendments to be made to the Charles County Ordinance. In addition to these updates, certain refinements are proposed that clarify the implementation and enforcement of the Ordinance.

Limited in-person seating will be provided. Citizens can also watch via CCGTV on cable access channels, Comcast: 95 and Verizon FIOS: 10, view online at https://www.charlescountymd.gov/services/media-services/charles-county-government-television/ccgtv-live-stream, or use a call-in number to listen to the Public Hearing at 301-645-0500.

Public testimony may be given either in person or virtually. Each speaker is allotted three (3) minutes. If a registered speaker is not available when called, the County has the right to move onto the next caller. Instructions for registering to speak virtually during the Public Hearing and other comment submission options are available at https://www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/PCVirtualMeetingInfo. Please contact the Clerk to the Planning Commission at [email protected] with any questions regarding public participation.

The associated documents for this item will be available for inspection on September 4, 2026 in the Department of Planning and Growth Management or online at: https://bit.ly/FCOUpdate For more information, please contact Kyle Redden, Planner III, at (301) 645-0688 or [email protected]

BY ORDER OF THE CHARLES COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION

Kevin Wedding, Chair

In the event the meeting is canceled due to events beyond the County's control, all items scheduled to be considered at the meeting will be rescheduled to a later date.

Charles County Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer