HB 701

Department of Natural Resources - Water Resources - Identification of Vernal Pools (Jack Cover Vernal Pool Wetlands Protection Act of 2026)

Sponsor: Terri L. Hill (District 12A)Committee: Environment and TransportationSubject: EnvironmentStatus: Rereferred to Education, Energy, and the Environment (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Requiring the Department of Natural Resources in coordination with the Department of the Environment to identify certain vernal pools in the State; requiring the Department of Natural Resources to create and maintain a certain list of vernal pools in the State in a certain manner; and requiring the Department of the Environment to designate staff to receive training in vernal pool identification and to notify the Department of Natural Resources under certain circumstances.

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Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (38)

MGA witness list

FAV 34FavorableUNF 2UnfavorableINFO 2Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Hudson, Jennie	Anacostia Watershed Society	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bassett, Elle	Arundel Rivers Federation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Swanson, Taylor	Assateague Coastal Trust	Written (PDF)
FAV	Brown, Jim	Audubon Mid-Atlantic	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Vogel, Eli	Audubon Society of Central Maryland	Written (PDF)
FAV	Volpitta, Alice	Blue Water Baltimore	Written (PDF)
FAV	Stegman, Matt	Chesapeake Bay Foundation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Shingledecker, Susan	Chesapeake Conservancy	Written (PDF)
FAV	Plante, Cecilia	Maryland Legislative Coalition	Written (PDF)
FAV	Schwarz, Kurt	Maryland Ornithological Society	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ostdahl, Maggielobbyist	National Aquarium	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Devers, Diana	Patapsco Heritage Greenway	Written (PDF)
FAV	Southerland, Mark	Safe Skies Maryland	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	iliff, jesse	Severn River Association	Written (PDF)
FAV	Kelleher, Zack	ShoreRivers	Written (PDF)
FAV	Fulton, Judith	Sierra Club	Written (PDF)
FAV	Sharif, Humnalobbyist	The Nature Conservancy	Written (PDF)
FAV	McNair, Lee	Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry	Position only
FAV	Parham, Martinna	Waterkeepers Chesapeake	Written (PDF)
FAV	Smith, Marlene	Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay Chapter	Written (PDF)
FAV	Broadman, Dorie	Wild Ones Nation's Capital Region Chapter	Written (PDF)
FAV	Alexander, Peter	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Boado, Alexi	Individual	Position only
FAV	DeLeo, Amanda	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Hill, Delegate Hilllegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	Deutschmann, Richard	Individual	Position only
FAV	Durholz, Marlene	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Hill, Terri	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	McDowell, Liz	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Parsa, Carolyn	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Ruhl, Janet	Individual	Position only
FAV	Sarabia, Deborah	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Smith, Greg	Individual	Position only
FAV	Turner, Rebecca	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Graf, Lorilobbyist	Maryland Building Industry Association	Written (PDF)
UNF	Ballentine, Tom	NAIOP Maryland	Written (PDF)
INFO	McPherson, Lydia	Maryland Department of Natural Resources	Written (PDF)
INFO	Baker, Jeremy D	Maryland Department of the Environment	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

Anacostia Watershed SocietyFAV 1

Arundel Rivers FederationFAV 1

Assateague Coastal TrustFAV 1

Audubon Mid-AtlanticFAV 1

Audubon Society of Central MarylandFAV 1

Blue Water BaltimoreFAV 1

Chesapeake Bay FoundationFAV 1

Chesapeake ConservancyFAV 1

Maryland Building Industry AssociationUNF 1

Maryland Department of Natural ResourcesINFO 1

Maryland Department of the EnvironmentINFO 1

Maryland Legislative CoalitionFAV 1

Maryland Ornithological SocietyFAV 1

NAIOP MarylandUNF 1

National AquariumFAV 1

Patapsco Heritage GreenwayFAV 1

Safe Skies MarylandFAV 1

Severn River AssociationFAV 1

ShoreRiversFAV 1

Sierra ClubFAV 1

The Nature ConservancyFAV 1

Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice MinistryFAV 1

Waterkeepers ChesapeakeFAV 1

Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay ChapterFAV 1

Wild Ones Nation's Capital Region ChapterFAV 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVOstdahl, MaggieNational AquariumRegistered for: National Aquarium

FAVSharif, HumnaThe Nature ConservancyRegistered for: Nature Conservancy, The

UNFGraf, LoriMaryland Building Industry AssociationRegistered for: Maryland Building Industry Association