Virginia Law

A. Resource Management Areas shall include land types that, if improperly used or developed, have a potential for causing significant water quality degradation or for diminishing the functional value of the Resource Protection Area.

B. A Resource Management Area shall be provided contiguous to the entire inland boundary of the Resource Protection Area. The following land categories shall be considered for inclusion in the Resource Management Area and, where mapping resources indicate the presence of these land types contiguous to the Resource Protection Area, should be included in designations of Resource Management Areas:

1. Floodplains;

2. Highly erodible soils, including steep slopes;

3. Highly permeable soils;

4. Nontidal wetlands not included in the Resource Protection Area; and

5. Such other lands considered by the local government to meet the provisions of subsection A of this section and to be necessary to protect the quality of state waters.

C. Resource Management Areas shall encompass a land area large enough to provide significant water quality protection through the employment of the criteria in Part IV (9VAC25-830-120 et seq.) and the requirements in Parts II (9VAC25-830-50 et seq.) and V (9VAC25-830-160 et seq.) of this chapter.

1. Local governments with few or no Resource Management Area land types evident from available mapping resources should evaluate the relationships of the following land categories to water quality protection in making their Resource Management Area designations. The department will consider the degree to which these land categories are included when evaluating the consistency of a locality's Resource Management Area designation for achievement of significant water quality protection:

a. Known Resource Management Area land types;

b. Developable land within the jurisdiction;

c. Areas targeted for redevelopment; and

d. Areas served by piped or channelized stormwater drainage systems which provide no treatment of stormwater discharges.

2. Localities with no mapping resources or with mapping resources for only portions of their jurisdiction should evaluate the relationships of the following land categories to water quality protection in making their Resource Management Area designations. The department will consider the degree to which these land categories are included when evaluating the consistency of a local government's Resource Management Area designation for achievement of significant water quality protection. Furthermore, such designations may be considered an interim designation until such time as appropriate mapping resources become available if such resources are considered by the department to be useful in determining the Resource Management Area boundaries, in which case the department will reevaluate the interim Resource Management Area designations at a later date:

a. Known Resource Management Area land types;

b. Developable land within the jurisdiction;

c. Areas targeted for redevelopment; and

d. Areas served by piped or channelized stormwater drainage systems which provide no treatment of stormwater discharges.

3. Local governments should consider extending the Resource Management Area boundary to the remainder of the lot, parcel, or development project upon which Resource Management Area-type features are present.

4. Local governments shall demonstrate how significant water quality protection will be achieved within designated Resource Management Areas, as well as by each local program as a whole, and to explain the rationale for excluding eligible Resource Management Area components that are not designated.

5. It is not the intent of the board, nor is it the intent of the Act or this chapter, to require that local governments designate all lands within their jurisdiction as Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas. It is also not the intent of the board to discourage or preclude jurisdiction-wide designations of Resource Management Areas when the local government considers such designations appropriate, recognizing that greater water quality protection will result from more expansive implementation of the performance criteria. The extent of the Resource Management Area designation should always be based on the prevalence and relation of Resource Management Area land types and other appropriate land areas to water quality protection.