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HB 775

Wetlands and Waterways Permits - Lighthouse Piers - Permission of Owner of Private Wetlands

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Tom Hutchinson

Maryland bill allows private wetland owners to authorize lighthouse pier construction without standard environmental permits, potentially bypassing wetlands protection reviews.

Hearing 2/25 at 1:00 p.m.
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Bill Summary · HB 775

Legislative bill overview

HB 775 would modify Maryland's wetlands and waterways permitting process to allow private wetland owners to authorize the construction of lighthouse piers on their property. The bill establishes a mechanism for property owners to grant permission for these structures without requiring the standard permit application through state environmental agencies.

Why is this important

Wetlands are highly regulated ecosystems protected under federal and state law due to their ecological value for water filtration, flood control, and wildlife habitat. This bill creates a potential carve-out from those protections, which could affect environmental oversight of development in sensitive areas and set precedent for other exemptions from wetlands regulations.

Potential points of contention

  • Environmental protection vs. property rights: Balancing private ownership rights against state environmental safeguards for wetland ecosystems that provide public ecological benefits
  • Regulatory clarity: The narrow "lighthouse piers" language may be ambiguous—whether it limits only to actual navigational structures or could apply to similar pier/dock constructions, and what "permission of owner" means for enforcement
  • Permit bypass: Creating owner-authorization pathways outside the permit system may reduce environmental review and monitoring typically required for waterway modifications

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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