544                              Laws of Maryland                        Ch. 241

81.

It is the intention of this Article that judicial review as herein
provided for shall in all instances include the right to appeal to the
Maryland Court of Appeals from the decision of any Circuit Court or
equity court of Baltimore City.

32. Severability.

The provisions of this Article are severable, and if any of its
provisions are held unconstitutional by any court of competent juris-
diction, the decision of the court shall not affect or impair any of
the remaining provisions.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
July 1, 1970.

Approved April 22, 1970

CHAPTER 241
(House Bill 285)

AN ACT to add new Sections 718 through 731, inclusive, to Article
66C of the Annotated Code of Maryland, (1967 Replacement Vol-
ume), title "Natural Resources," to follow immediately after Sec-
tion 717 thereof, and to be under the new subtitle "Wetlands";
and to repeal Section 485 of Article 27 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1967 Replacement Volume), title and subtitle, "Crimes
and Punishments," subheading "Rivers, Harbors, etc."; and to
repeal Sections 45, 46 and 47 of Article 54 of the Annotated Code
of Maryland (1968 Replacement Volume), title "Hall of Records,"
subtitle "Land Patents," to provide a State policy for the preser-
vation of wetlands in the State; to regulate the filling and dredg-
ing of wetlands; TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF
NATURAL RESOURCES WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT
OF THE MARYLAND AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION TO
PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS; to authorize the
Secretary of Natural Resources to prohibit certain activities on
specified wetlands; to provide for an inventory of PRIVATE
wetlands; to provide certain protections to riparian owners; and
generally dealing with both State and private wetlands; and to
repeal sections generally dealing with the removal of sand and
gravel, ownership of accretions, improvements on lands bounding
navigable waters, and the liability of riparian owners, with the
general context of said sections to be incorporated into the new
Sections 718 through 731, inclusive.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Sections 718 through 731, inclusive, be and they are hereby
added to Article 66C of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1967
Replacement Volume), title "Natural Resources," to follow imme-
diately after Section 717 thereof, to be under the new subtitle "Wet-
lands," and all to read as follows: