HARRY HUGHES, Governor

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directs the Department of State Planning with the
cooperation and advice of other appropriate
departments, agencies and instrumentalities of federal,
State and local governments and other organizations to
prepare a State development plan and to "advise the
Governor on the means and methods available to
coordinate plans and programs of all State departments,
agencies, commissions and instrumentalities in order to
establish relative priorities and to avoid duplication
and conflicts," and Article 88C, Section 5 requires the
Governor to comment upon and file a State development
plan and to "transmit copies thereof together with
copies of his comments to the heads of all departments
and agencies of State government and to the General
Assembly"; and

Section 1-303 of the Natural Resources Article enacted
by the Maryland Environmental Policy Act which directs
"all State Agencies, except where existing law
expressly prohibits, to identify, develop and adopt
methods and procedures that will assure that
environmental amenities and values are given
appropriate consideration in planning and decision
making," and that decision making involving
environmental effects be undertaken "in coordination
with public and private organizations and individuals
with jurisdiction by law, special expertise and
recognized interest"; and

Section 2-501 of the Agriculture Article of the
Annotated Code of Maryland which declares that "it is
the intent of the Maryland General Assembly to preserve
agricultural land and woodland in order to: provide
sources of agricultural products within the State for
the citizens of the State; control the urban expansion
which is consuming the agricultural land and woodland
of the State; curb the spread of urban blight and
deterioration; and protect agricultural land and
woodland as open space land"; and

Article 41, Section 258 of the Annotated Code of
Maryland, which established the Division of Economic
Development of the Department of Economic and Community
Development, states that the Division "shall have the
general purpose of advancing the economic welfare of
the people through programs and activities to develop
in a proper manner the State's natural resources and
economic opportunities...". Furthermore, Sections 266
DD 1-4 creating the Community Development
Administration in the Department, states that the
Administration "shall have the following functions and
responsibilities: 1) Assist the Governor in