The Pollinator-Friendly Designation Program bill (SB 1158​) was signed by Governor Larry Hogan in May 2017. SB 1158 established a pollinator-friendly designation program for commercial groundmounted solar facilities. The Bill led to the drafting of a Pollinator Certification Regulation that was finalized in March 2020.

The regulation established a procedure for solar developers to follow in order to be certified as pollinator-friendly solar facility. To summarize, a developer must:

• Submit an application​, provided by the Power Plant Research Program to pp​rp@maryland.gov​ with a notification of an intent to apply for the designation to include:
• Name of the facility
• Location of the facility
• Is this a proposed or existing facility?
• Facility tax map information (map, grid, parcel number, etc) and acreage
• Contact name, email address, and phone number
• Short description of the facility


• Include a pollinator habitat management plan with application submittal
• Utilize a seed mix appropriate for the Maryland region. For suggestions regarding seed mix suppliers, click here.
• Undergo a site inspection and review of the pollinator habitat management plan by a DNR-approved site inspector. A list of approved site inspectors is here.
• Submit a final Solar Site Pollinator Habitat Planning and Assessment Scorecard, along with a final pollinator habitat management plan, and a letter from the site inspector stating that the site has been planted and managed in accordance with the habitat plan to DNR for review, within 30 days of completion of the site inspection.
• Note that the site must be planted and managed prior to the certification.

The Department may request additional information related to the application; the applicant shall submit the requested information to the Department within 30 days of the Department’s request. Failure to submit the additional information within 30 days of the Department’s request shall result in termination of the application.

Upon approval, the pollinator-friendly certification will be valid for a period of two years, upon which the developer can apply for a renewal by contacting PPRP within 90 days of the expiration of the certification.

NEWS

Perdue Farms in Salisbury, Maryland was granted the first Pollinator-Friendly Solar Facility Designation on June 25, 2020. For the press release and additional photos, click here​.

Please contact Ginny Rogers at the Power Plant Research Program with questions: pprp.dnr@maryland.gov.