The Department shall be responsible for planning, development, management, and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay and any other tidal waters, including their shoreline and bottom, and any resources associated with these waters. Also, the Department may: Plan and develop public recreational facilities in or on the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and other tidal waters; Assist other State units to plan public recreational facilities for the Chesapeake Bay and other tidal waters; Cooperate with other units to carry out measures to protect tidal water fronts and waterways of the State against erosion and deposit; and Act for the State to develop further navigation aids and improvement of waterways in the Chesapeake Bay and other tidal water areas of the State. The Department may operate, sell, buy, lease, exchange, rent, or repair any vehicle, vessel, boat, net, or other equipment necessary for its work. The Department may furnish a vehicle, vessel, or boat which the Department owns or operates with any required arms, ammunition, or equipment. The Department’s authority under this subsection is subject to the provisions of the Code relating to budget and procurement. In addition to powers and duties stated in this title, the Department may exercise authority reasonably necessary to carry out the purposes of this title.

The Secretary shall take every necessary step to enact appropriate intergovernmental agreements with other states to preserve the optimal state of the Chesapeake Bay through organization of an interstate body to plan, manage, coordinate, and enforce the proper use of the Chesapeake Bay, so every user of the Bay area can obtain maximum advantage of the Bay.

The Secretary: Using eligible funding sources, may purchase environmental outcomes, as defined in § 8–2A–01 of this title, that provide for cost–effective long–term or permanent green or blue infrastructure projects that: Improve the water quality of Maryland’s portion of the Chesapeake Bay; and Are located in the Susquehanna River watershed; and Shall consult with the secretary of the environmental agency of the state in which the project is located to ensure that: The state supports the project; and For the purchased environmental outcomes, there is mutual agreement as to the allocation of credits to the Chesapeake Bay total maximum daily load’s watershed implementation plans.

The Department is the unit of State government that coordinates public access to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The Department shall: Identify and designate areas for public access to the waters of the State in each county that is located on the tidal waters of the State; Coordinate with local and State agencies responsible for planning, purchasing, developing, and maintaining access areas; Make recommendations to guide public agencies in the identification, development, and management of access areas; and Serve as a repository for all information and inventories concerning shorefront access. This section may not be construed to expand the authority that the Department has on July 1, 1988, to require or promote condemnation of real property along the Big Blackwater River and the Little Blackwater River. The State may not acquire by eminent domain real property along the Big Blackwater River or the Little Blackwater River without first proving that the acquisition is necessary to preserve the natural qualities and unpolluted state of the Big Blackwater River and the Little Blackwater River.

In this section, “Fund” means the State Lakes Protection and Restoration Fund. There is a State Lakes Protection and Restoration Fund. The purpose of the Fund is to protect and restore State–owned lakes. The Secretary shall administer the Fund. The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7–302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article. The State Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately, and the Comptroller shall account for the Fund. The Fund consists of: Money appropriated in the State budget to the Fund; and Any other money from any other source accepted for the benefit of the Fund. The Fund may be used only for the protection or restoration of State–owned lakes. The State Treasurer shall invest the money of the Fund in the same manner as other State money may be invested. Any interest earnings of the Fund shall be credited to the Fund. Expenditures from the Fund may be made only in accordance with the State budget. Money expended from the Fund for the protection or restoration of State–owned lakes is supplemental to and is not intended to take the place of funding that would otherwise be appropriated for the protection or restoration of State–owned lakes.

The Department shall develop a working budget for the funds received from the State Lakes Protection and Restoration Fund established under § 8–205 of this subtitle. The Department shall develop, in coordination with local governments, organizations, and citizens, an annual work plan that prioritizes and details projects that will receive funding from the State Lakes Protection and Restoration Fund.

The Department may not prohibit or limit, through any contract, easement, or agreement, a participant in a program administered by the Department from participating in and receiving compensation from greenhouse gas markets, carbon credits, or soil carbon programs, if the purpose of the compensation is to achieve additional environmental outcomes that are consistent with the State’s Chesapeake Bay conservation goals.