SILVER SPRING, MD – Mark Pfefferle, a familiar
presence on M-NCPPC’s Environmental Planning review team for the past six
years, has been promoted to a key leadership role responsible for protecting
the county’s forests, Acting Planning Department Director Gwen Wright announced
today.
Pfefferle will immediately assume full management
responsibility over all planning, regulatory and enforcement aspects of
Montgomery County’s forest conservation program.
The law’s purpose is to save, maintain and plant trees and
forests, which filter groundwater, reduce surface runoff, provide wildlife
habitat, cleanse the air, reduce energy needs and improve quality of life
through their environmental contributions, recreational benefits and aesthetic
appeal.
Montgomery County’s forest conservation program was
established in 1992 under a mandate from the state Department of Natural
Resources. As a first order of business, Pfefferle will lead a major effort,
already underway, to review and update the county’s current forest conservation
legislation, regulations, and supporting technical documents.
The Forest Conservation Law protects forests throughout the
county by specifying tree protection mechanisms and ways to minimize
disturbance of forested areas during development. Montgomery County’s forest
conservation procedures are detailed at .
Pfefferle earned a master’s degree at Duke University’s
School of Forestry and Environmental Management. Prior to joining the Park and Planning Commission in 2001, he
worked as the City of Gaithersburg’s Environmental Specialist where, among his
many responsibilities, he developed comprehensive environmental regulations.
To learn more about forest conservation in Montgomery
County, watch the May episode of Montgomery
Plans, the Planning Department’s cable show that airs on Cable Channel
6.