As drafted, Maryland’s new solar development legislation will put Maryland’s priority farmland at risk of development, robbing autonomy from local governments, and yet again disproportionately impacting the Eastern Shore’s farms and farmers. We need legislators to hear from you that increased protection for farmland is essential, particularly here on the Eastern Shore.
A new amendment to the Renewable Energy Certainty Act (SB931/HB1036) proposes a 5% threshold on unfettered solar development within Priority Preservation Areas, after which, local jurisdictions would be empowered to control solar siting decisions without intervention and interference from the state. More than 54,000 acres of priority farmland on the Eastern Shore will be at risk of conversion to solar, with counties powerless to stop, or even shape it. This is roughly the same amount of land it has taken ESLC 35 years to protect through conservation easements. What’s more, this decision has been made on the heels of further blows to agricultural preservation, including 100 million dollars of farmland protection funding cut from the budget this legislative session. Our priority farmland – and the farmers and communities that depend on it – deserve better.
While we are encouraged there is finally some attempt to set limits on the allowable use of farmland for solar development, we need legislators to embrace more stringent protections. As written, the amendment currently includes seven pages of legislation addressing landscaping requirements for solar installations and only one brief page addressing farmland conversion. This is indicative of the amount of thought that has gone into crafting this proposal. We need your voice to tell legislators this is unacceptable.
Local jurisdictions designate Priority Preservation Areas (PPAs) in order to prioritize the agricultural viability and long-term preservation of their community’s most essential farmland, rural counties which possess large tracts of agricultural land have more acreage in PPAs by design. These are the lands that fuel their economies. Pulling large farms out of production can topple the foundational economy, culture, and community of these places. Although the Eastern Shore of Maryland is only one third of the land mass of the state, the region’s Priority Protection Areas comprise over half of Maryland’s PPA acreage. The outsized role of Eastern Shore agriculture is even more pronounced when it comes to the economy, contributing 74% of the agricultural market sales in the state. And despite the state’s dependence upon the Eastern Shore’s agricultural economy, counties here will be subject to the same 5% threshold as the rest of the state.
If you value the role that farmland plays in Maryland’s economic and cultural identity, please contact the legislators below and urge them to increase protection for this vital resource by honoring the intention and purpose of Priority Protection Areas before even more farmland is lost forever. We must insist on the most robust protection possible for these vital areas. There are only a few more days left in the legislative session so please contact these legislators TODAY.
