MD SB523

Department of Natural Resources must create and maintain a statewide list of vernal pools in coordination with the Department of the Environment, with criteria including confined depressions that hold surface water for at least 2 consecutive months between November and May and provide habitat for native amphibians and invertebrates

Vernal pools covered by the bill are those under 5 acres that do not meet federal wetland delineation criteria (hydrology, hydric soils, hydrophytic vegetation) and therefore lack existing nontidal wetland protections

Department of the Environment must designate staff to receive vernal pool identification training and notify the Department of Natural Resources when potential vernal pools are discovered during nontidal wetland regulatory activities

The list of vernal pools must be published on the Department of Natural Resources website, with pools identifiable through mapping, scientific information, or stakeholder consultation including the University of Maryland

Effective date: October 1, 2026