This is a MD iMAP hosted service. Find more information at http://imap.maryland.gov. This data set represents the Department of Natural Resources interpretation of the location - land cover/land use type and geographic extent of the critical land areas for towns near the Chesapeake Bay. A Critical Area includes all land within 1 - 000 feet of tidal waters and wetlands in Maryland - as well as the waters of Maryland s Chesapeake Bay and coastal bay area. This data file Critical Areas Towns only contains Critical Areas in 14 Maryland Towns: Charlestown - Chesapeake Beach - Chesapeake City - Crisfield - Leonardtown - North Beach - Northeast - Perryville - Port Deposit - Princess Anne - Rock Hall - Secretary - Snow Hill and Vienna.Feature Service Link:http://geodata.md.gov/imap/rest/services/Environment/MD_CriticalAreas/FeatureServer/1 ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS: The Spatial Data and the information therein (collectively "the Data") is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind either expressed implied or statutory. The user assumes the entire risk as to quality and performance of the Data. No guarantee of accuracy is granted nor is any responsibility for reliance thereon assumed. In no event shall the State of Maryland be liable for direct indirect incidental consequential or special damages of any kind. The State of Maryland does not accept liability for any damages or misrepresentation caused by inaccuracies in the Data or as a result to changes to the Data nor is there responsibility assumed to maintain the Data in any manner or form. The Data can be freely distributed as long as the metadata entry is not modified or deleted. Any data derived from the Data must acknowledge the State of Maryland in the metadata.

This is a MD iMAP hosted service. Find more information at http://imap.maryland.gov. Targeted Ecological Areas (TEAs) are lands and watersheds of high ecological value that have been identified as conservation priorities by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for natural resource protection. These areas represent the most ecologically valuable areas in the State: they are the best of the best"". TEAs are preferred for conservation funding through Stateside Program Open Space. This version updates the 2008 TEA layer. The first step in updating TEAs was to create an ecological baseline composed of several ecological databases which included updates of original databases and additional databases developed since 2008.The first component is the updated Green Infrastructure Assessment (circa 2010) which identifies large - contiguous blocks (hubs) of significant forests and wetlands and their connecting corridors. The Green Infrastructure's hub and corridor network of habitat allows plant and animal migration - reduces forest fragmentation if protected - and provides important ecosystem services - such as biodiversity - cleaning air and water - storing nutrients - and protecting areas against storm and flood damage.The rare species and wildlife habitat component identifies areas that support Rare - Threatened - and Endangered Species - rare plant and animal communities - species of Greatest Conservation Need - and wildlife concentrations.The aquatic life hotspots component identifies watersheds supporting freshwater stream ecosystems where conservation is needed to protect and restore areas of high aquatic biodiversity - Tier II regulated streams - and brook trout streams.The water quality protection component identifies sensitive lands such as forests - wetlands - and steep slopes where preservation is important for water quality.The coastal ecosystems component identifies Blue Infrastructure shoreline and watershed protection priorities. These are areas important for sustaining coastal and tidal ecosystems and also identifies land areas important for sustaining spawning and nursery areas for important commercial and recreational fisheries.The climate change adaptation component identifies areas important for sustaining wetlands ecosystems that are changing and moving landward in response to sea level rise.From the ecological baseline - areas that ranked as most important for each of the components were merged to create the Targeted Ecological Areas. Lands that were developed - as identified by the Maryland Department of Planning (2010) were removed from the TEA layer since developed lands are not preferred for Stateside Program Open Space funding. Additionally - lands that are in the 0 foot to 2 foot inundation zone based on the 2011 SLAMM (Maryland Sea-Level Affecting Marshes Model) study performed for all 16 coastal counties and Baltimore City since these areas are not preferred for Stateside Program Open Space funding.Feature Service Link:http://geodata.md.gov/imap/rest/services/Environment/MD_FocalAreas/FeatureServer/1 ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS: The Spatial Data and the information therein (collectively the ""Data"") is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind either expressed implied or statutory. The user assumes the entire risk as to quality and performance of the Data. No guarantee of accuracy is granted nor is any responsibility for reliance thereon assumed. In no event shall the State of Maryland be liable for direct indirect incidental consequential or special damages of any kind. The State of Maryland does not accept liability for any damages or misrepresentation caused by inaccuracies in the Data or as a result to changes to the Data nor is there responsibility assumed to maintain the Data in any manner or form. The Data can be freely distributed as long as the metadata entry is not modified or deleted. Any data derived from the Data must acknowledge the State of Maryland in the m

This is a MD iMAP hosted service. Find more information at http://imap.maryland.gov. In 2000 - the Maryland Geological Survey (MGS) was awarded a Coastal ZoneManagement grant to complete the acquisition of a recent (ca. 1990) digital shoreline for the coastal regions of Maryland - the Chesapeake Bay - its tributaries - the coastal bays - and the Atlantic coast.MGS contracted the services of EarthData International - Inc. (EDI) of Gaithersburg - Md. - to extract shorelines from an existing wetlands delineation - which was based on photo interpretation of 3.75-minute digital orthophoto quarter quads (DOQQs). In areas where a wetlands coverage was not yet available - EDI interpreted shorelines directly from the orthophotography. DOQQ registration (Maryland State Plane Coordinate System - NAD 83 - meters) was transferred automatically to the shoreline vectors. Following shoreline extraction or interpretation - EDI assigned attributes to the vectors based on shoreline type: beach - vegetated - structure - or water's edge. This data set has been merged into a state wide file for ease of processing and decision making.Feature Service Link:http://geodata.md.gov/imap/rest/services/Boundaries/MD_MarineBoundaries/FeatureServer/0 ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS: The Spatial Data and the information therein (collectively "the Data") is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind either expressed implied or statutory. The user assumes the entire risk as to quality and performance of the Data. No guarantee of accuracy is granted nor is any responsibility for reliance thereon assumed. In no event shall the State of Maryland be liable for direct indirect incidental consequential or special damages of any kind. The State of Maryland does not accept liability for any damages or misrepresentation caused by inaccuracies in the Data or as a result to changes to the Data nor is there responsibility assumed to maintain the Data in any manner or form. The Data can be freely distributed as long as the metadata entry is not modified or deleted. Any data derived from the Data must acknowledge the State of Maryland in the metadata.

This is a MD iMAP hosted service. Find more information at http://imap.maryland.gov. In 1997 - the Maryland General Assembly approved the Rural Legacy Program. The purpose of the Rural Legacy Program is to protect Maryland's best remaining rural landscapes and natural areas through the purchase of land or conservation easements. In a grass root approach - local government and land trusts (sponsors) apply to have places that are significant to the community and the state designated as Rural Legacy Areas. The Rural Legacy Areas file is a digital - polygon layer showing Maryland's designated Rural Legacy areas. The file was compiled by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources using data supplied by Rural Legacy Area sponsors. Once a Rural Legacy area is designated - Rural Legacy sponsors can then apply for Rural Legacy grants for land or conservation easements within the Rural Legacy boundaries. Last Updated: 08/2013Feature Service Link:http://geodata.md.gov/imap/rest/services/Environment/MD_FocalAreas/FeatureServer/0 ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS: The Spatial Data and the information therein (collectively "the Data") is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind either expressed implied or statutory. The user assumes the entire risk as to quality and performance of the Data. No guarantee of accuracy is granted nor is any responsibility for reliance thereon assumed. In no event shall the State of Maryland be liable for direct indirect incidental consequential or special damages of any kind. The State of Maryland does not accept liability for any damages or misrepresentation caused by inaccuracies in the Data or as a result to changes to the Data nor is there responsibility assumed to maintain the Data in any manner or form. The Data can be freely distributed as long as the metadata entry is not modified or deleted. Any data derived from the Data must acknowledge the State of Maryland in the metadata.

This is a MD iMAP hosted service. Find more information at http://imap.maryland.gov. This layer illustrates Priority Preservation Areas as adopted by each respective county in the state of Maryland that wishes to gain certification for preservation funding. This data is compiled GIS data provided directly from each county. In addition - this data is in the process of being realigned to the 2012 MD iMAP parcel polygons. The realignments are available on a county by county basis depending on the production schedule. Last Updated: 06/2014Feature Service Link:http://geodata.md.gov/imap/rest/services/Agriculture/MD_AgriculturalDesignations/FeatureServer/1 ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS: The Spatial Data and the information therein (collectively "the Data") is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind either expressed implied or statutory. The user assumes the entire risk as to quality and performance of the Data. No guarantee of accuracy is granted nor is any responsibility for reliance thereon assumed. In no event shall the State of Maryland be liable for direct indirect incidental consequential or special damages of any kind. The State of Maryland does not accept liability for any damages or misrepresentation caused by inaccuracies in the Data or as a result to changes to the Data nor is there responsibility assumed to maintain the Data in any manner or form. The Data can be freely distributed as long as the metadata entry is not modified or deleted. Any data derived from the Data must acknowledge the State of Maryland in the metadata.

This is a MD iMAP hosted service. Find more information at http://imap.maryland.gov. The Forest Conservation Act of 1991 requires units of local government with planning and zoning authority to establish and implement local forest conservation programs - and provides for the Department of Natural Resource s (DNR) administration of forest conservation requirements. During the 2008 Legislative Session - HB972 was adopted which effected the Forest Conservation Act's reporting and enforcement requirements. On or before July 1st of each year - the DNR shall submit to the Senate Education - Health - and Environmental Affairs Committee and the House Environmental Matters Committee a statewide report compiled from local authorities. Included with this report DNR will also be required to submit - to the best practicable extent - the size shape and location of all conserved and planted forest areas submitted in an electronic geographic information system or other similar computer aided design format.This dataset is intended to satisfy the new geospatial reporting requirements beginning with the 2010 fiscal year reporting period. Last Updated: 05/2014Feature Service Link:http://geodata.md.gov/imap/rest/services/Environment/MD_ProtectedLands/FeatureServer/3 ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS: The Spatial Data and the information therein (collectively "the Data") is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind either expressed implied or statutory. The user assumes the entire risk as to quality and performance of the Data. No guarantee of accuracy is granted nor is any responsibility for reliance thereon assumed. In no event shall the State of Maryland be liable for direct indirect incidental consequential or special damages of any kind. The State of Maryland does not accept liability for any damages or misrepresentation caused by inaccuracies in the Data or as a result to changes to the Data nor is there responsibility assumed to maintain the Data in any manner or form. The Data can be freely distributed as long as the metadata entry is not modified or deleted. Any data derived from the Data must acknowledge the State of Maryland in the metadata.

This is a MD iMAP hosted service. Find more information on http://imap.maryland.gov. The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) - housed within the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) - protects agricultural lands through the use of perpetual easements. This program was created by the Maryland General Assembly in 1977 - is governed by the Agricultural Article - Sections 2-515 through 2-516 of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Easements may be donated or purchased - protecting in perpetuity the land for agricultural purposes. There is a formal process for obtaining these designations - including the Maryland Board of Public Works approval. These data are intended for general guidance and use only. Map Service Link: http://archive.geodata.md.gov/imap/rest/services/ Environment/MD_ArchivedProtectedLandsAcquisitions/MapServer/44 ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS: The Spatial Data and the information therein (collectively "the Data") is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind either expressed implied or statutory. The user assumes the entire risk as to quality and performance of the Data. No guarantee of accuracy is granted nor is any responsibility for reliance thereon assumed. In no event shall the State of Maryland be liable for direct indirect incidental consequential or special damages of any kind. The State of Maryland does not accept liability for any damages or misrepresentation caused by inaccuracies in the Data or as a result to changes to the Data nor is there responsibility assumed to maintain the Data in any manner or form. The Data can be freely distributed as long as the metadata entry is not modified or deleted. Any data derived from the Data must acknowledge the State of Maryland in the metadata.

This is a MD iMAP hosted service. Find more information on http://imap.maryland.gov. The Marsh Protection Potential Index (MPPI) ranks Maryland's coastal marshes by their ability to protect vulnerable communities from coastal hazards. To do so - we identified five key questions to assess each marsh: How much is the marsh able to reduce the impact of coastal hazards?Is the marsh located where coastal hazards are a threat?Is the marsh located where there are people to protect? Is the marsh located adjacent to other protective habitats?Is the marsh likely to survive in the face of rising sea levels?Using data from the Coastal Resiliency Assessment and other sources - we developed metrics to score each marsh on these five questions. Then - the sub-scores were combined to create the Marsh Protection Potential Index overall rating - which ranks the protective ability of over 14 - 000 marshes statewide.It is important to note that the MPPI ranks marshes relative to other marshes - rather than providing an absolute measure of protective services. The Marsh Protection Potential Index does not attempt to describe the dollar-value of protective services provided by each marsh - nor does it compare marshes to other types of habitat or to other protection infrastructure solutions. In addition - the MPPI does not assess marshes on any of the other characteristics that often inform conservation priorities. Things like biodiversity - ecosystem health - rare species - recreation value - or water quality services are often important to stakeholders - and these are not captured by the MPPI. The MPPI is intended to supplement - not replace - the other ways conservation decision-makers prioritize natural habitats. Last Updated: 3/31/2016Feature Service Link: http://geodata.md.gov/imap/rest/services/Environment/MD_CoastalResiliencyAssessment/FeatureServer/3 ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS: The Spatial Data and the information therein (collectively "the Data") is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind either expressed implied or statutory. The user assumes the entire risk as to quality and performance of the Data. No guarantee of accuracy is granted nor is any responsibility for reliance thereon assumed. In no event shall the State of Maryland be liable for direct indirect incidental consequential or special damages of any kind. The State of Maryland does not accept liability for any damages or misrepresentation caused by inaccuracies in the Data or as a result to changes to the Data nor is there responsibility assumed to maintain the Data in any manner or form. The Data can be freely distributed as long as the metadata entry is not modified or deleted. Any data derived from the Data must acknowledge the State of Maryland in the metadata.

This is a MD iMAP hosted service. Find more information at http://imap.maryland.gov. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages over 446 - 000 acres of public lands and protected open space in the state. The DNR Lands data (part of Technology Toolbox Protected Lands data set) consists of mapped information that represent those lands that are owned by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.Utilizing various land protection programs and funding sources - the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has preserved environmentally important lands through the use of perpetual conservation easements. The Forest Legacy Program is designed to identify and protect environmentally important forest lands that are threatened by present or future conversion to non-forest use through the use of perpetual conservation easements between willing sellers and willing buyers. Only private forest land in a Forest Legacy Area is eligible for the program. Marylands Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) has helped thousands of Maryland landowners plant streamside buffers - establish wetlands - protect highly erodible land - and create wildlife habitat. The State of Maryland has entered into a memorandum of Agreement with USDA authorizing the State of Maryland to continue the voluntary program for the purchase of perpetual easements for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land. A perpetual CREP easement is a written legal agreement between a landowner and the State of Maryland in which there is an acquired permanent interest in the land to install or maintain conservation practices that protect water quality and natural resources. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) administers the CREP easement program. DNR is also assisted by a number of local governments and non-government organization sponsors. Last Updated: 05/2014Feature Service Link:http://geodata.md.gov/imap/rest/services/Environment/MD_ProtectedLands/FeatureServer/0 ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS: The Spatial Data and the information therein (collectively "the Data") is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind either expressed implied or statutory. The user assumes the entire risk as to quality and performance of the Data. No guarantee of accuracy is granted nor is any responsibility for reliance thereon assumed. In no event shall the State of Maryland be liable for direct indirect incidental consequential or special damages of any kind. The State of Maryland does not accept liability for any damages or misrepresentation caused by inaccuracies in the Data or as a result to changes to the Data nor is there responsibility assumed to maintain the Data in any manner or form. The Data can be freely distributed as long as the metadata entry is not modified or deleted. Any data derived from the Data must acknowledge the State of Maryland in the metadata.

This is a MD iMAP hosted service. Find more information on http://imap.maryland.gov. The Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation (MALPF) - housed within the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) - protects agricultural lands through the use of perpetual easements. This program was created by the Maryland General Assembly in 1977 - is governed by the Agricultural Article - Sections 2-515 through 2-516 of the Annotated Code of Maryland. Easements may be donated or purchased - protecting in perpetuity the land for agricultural purposes. There is a formal process for obtaining these designations - including the Maryland Board of Public Works approval. These data are intended for general guidance and use only. Map Service Link: http://archive.geodata.md.gov/imap/rest/services/ Environment/MD_ArchivedProtectedLandsAcquisitions/MapServer/42 ADDITIONAL LICENSE TERMS: The Spatial Data and the information therein (collectively "the Data") is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind either expressed implied or statutory. The user assumes the entire risk as to quality and performance of the Data. No guarantee of accuracy is granted nor is any responsibility for reliance thereon assumed. In no event shall the State of Maryland be liable for direct indirect incidental consequential or special damages of any kind. The State of Maryland does not accept liability for any damages or misrepresentation caused by inaccuracies in the Data or as a result to changes to the Data nor is there responsibility assumed to maintain the Data in any manner or form. The Data can be freely distributed as long as the metadata entry is not modified or deleted. Any data derived from the Data must acknowledge the State of Maryland in the metadata.