Patuxent Research Refuge and Beltsville Agricultural Research Center - Zoning Classification (Protecting Patuxent Research Refuge Act)
Sponsor: Mary A. Lehman (District 21)Committee: Economic MattersSubject: Local Government - GenerallyStatus: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 541 (as of Sep 4, 2026)
What this bill does
Official synopsis
Requiring a certain local zoning authority to designate and maintain certain property in a zoning classification that restricts the uses in a certain manner under certain circumstances; requiring the appropriate authority to maintain certain property in a certain zoning classification that restricts the uses in a certain manner under certain circumstances; requiring, prior to any development on certain property, a certain local zoning authority to hold a hearing and make a decision in consultation with certain entities; etc.
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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 (54)
MGA witness listFAV 52FavorableFWA 2Favorable with amendments
| Position | Witness | Organization | Testimony |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAV | Ni, Tom | Anne Arundel County Government County Executive's Office | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Brown, Jim | Audubon Mid-Atlantic | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Brown, Jim | Audubon Mid-Atlantic | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Lambrow, Kathy | Baltimore Bird Club, Conservation Committee | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Lambrow, Kathy | Baltimore Bird Club, Conservation Committee | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Carrington, Darrell | Carrington & Associates, LLC | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Demiray, Sonia | Climate Communications Coalition | Position only |
| FAV | Dolesh, Richard | Friends of Patuxent Research Refuge | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Dolesh, Richard | Friends of Patuxent Research Refuge | Oral |
| FAV | Bartolomeo, Kathleen | GCAN, MCRT | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Volodin, Staceylobbyist | Humane World for Animals | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Volodin, Staceylobbyist | Humane World for Animals | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Ghosh, Shantanu | Indivisible Howard County | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Ghosh, Shantanu | Indivisible Howard County | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Howard, Curt | MD-IWLA | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Lehman, Mary | MGA | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | McCutchen, Susan | Maryland Coalition for Responsible Transit | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | allen, gary | Maryland Forestry Foundation | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | allen, gary | Maryland Forestry Foundation | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Hoffman, Kirsten | Maryland Native Plant Coalition | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Hoffman, Kirsten | Maryland Native Plant Coalition | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Fulton, Judy | Maryland Native Plant Society | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Fulton, Judy | Maryland Native Plant Society | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Schwarz, Kurt | Maryland Ornithological Society | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Tutman, Frederick Lendon | Patuxent Riverkeeper | Oral |
| FAV | Tutman, Frederick Lendon | Patuxent Riverkeeper | Oral |
| FAV | Fine, Maureen | Salutation | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Connelly, Laura | Self! | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Wilpers, Michael | Sierra Club MD Chapter | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Wilpers, Michael | Sierra Club MD Chapter | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Schomberg, Harry | USDA-ARS-BARC | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | McNair, Lee | Unitarian Universalist Environmental Justice Ministry | Position only |
| FAV | Solomon, Julie | self | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Arndt, Dave | Individual | Position only |
| FAV | Barnett, Susan | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Bellamy, Lorenzolobbyist | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Bierer-Garrett, Lisa | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Brown, Michael | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Brown, Michael | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Delegate Lehman, Delegate Lehmanlegislator | Individual | Oral |
| FAV | Delegate Lehman, Delegate Lehmanlegislator | Individual | Oral + Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Jackman, Patricia | Individual | Position only |
| FAV | Kranz, Rhonda | Individual | Position only |
| FAV | Lang, Alan | Individual | Position only |
| FAV | Plaisant, Catherine | Individual | Position only |
| FAV | Robbins, Patience | Individual | Position only |
| FAV | Rosenthal, Lore | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Rosenthal, Lore | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Smith, Greg | Individual | Position only |
| FAV | Solomon, Nancy | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | Taylor, Tom | Individual | Written (PDF) |
| FAV | White, Kristine | Individual | Position only |
| FWA | Smith, Marlene | Wild Ones Chesapeake Bay Chapter | Written (PDF) |
| FWA | McLaughlin, Michael | Individual | Written (PDF) |
Organizations on record
Audubon Mid-AtlanticFAV 2
GCAN, MCRTFAV 1
MD-IWLAFAV 1
MGAFAV 1
Patuxent RiverkeeperFAV 2
SalutationFAV 1
selfFAV 1
Self!FAV 1
USDA-ARS-BARCFAV 1
Registered lobbyists who testified
FAVBellamy, LorenzoRegistered for: ACLU of Maryland; Alliance for Responsible Consumer Legal Funding; American Forest & Paper Association; Americans for Patient Access; Avaya, Inc.; Bellamy Genn Group, LLC…