Para v. 1691 Ltd. Partnership

This appeal involves the issuance of á permit by appellee, the Maryland Department of the Environment (“MDE” or “the Department”), to appellee, 1691 Limited Partnership (“1691”), for the construction of a “big-box” retail center on freshwater nontidal wetlands in Crofton, Anne Arundel Coun*341ty, Maryland.1 1691 is a Maryland limited partnership, in the business of land development, that owns parcels of land in and around Crofton, Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

As discussed in more detail, infra, both federal and State law maintain comprehensive programs for the “conservation, regulation,…