DCA Applauds Simpler Permit Process for No-Land Chicken Farms in Maryland

Some Maryland chicken farms, including “no-land” farms, can now extend their nutrient management plans from three years to five years. The Delmarva Chicken Association says the change will reduce paperwork for family farmers while maintaining existing conservation practices and protections for water quality. Nutrient management plans outline how manure, fertilizer and other nutrients are managed to prevent excess runoff into waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. DCA suggested this change several years prior to submitting comments about the 2025 general discharge permit for animal feeding operations, which the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) published earlier this year after a 10-month delay.