692                              Laws of Maryland                       [Ch. 543

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That Article 88C of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition),
title "State Planning Commission", be and it is hereby repealed, and
that a new Article 88C be and it is hereby enacted in lieu thereof, to
stand in the place of the Article so repealed and to be under the new
title "State Planning", and to read as follows:

Article 88C
State Planning

1.    State Planning Department; purposes

There shall be a State Planning Department responsible to the
Governor, headed by the Director of State Planning. It shall be the
purpose of the State Planning Department to function as the Gov-
ernor's staff agency in planning matters, and to prepare, recommend
and keep up-to-date a balanced, integrated program for the develop-
ment and effective employment of the natural and other resources
of the State, in order to promote the health, safety and general
welfare of its citizens. In the execution of its purposes, the State
Planning Department shall function as an advisory, consultative and
coordinating agency, (1) harmonizing its planning activities with the
planning activities of departments, agencies or instrumentalities of
state or local government; (2) rendering necessary planning assis-
tance; and (3) stimulating public interest and participation in the
development of the State. Nothing contained in this Article shall
operate in derogation of planning powers conferred upon depart-
ments, agencies or instrumentalities of state or local government by
any existing state or local law.

2.    State Planning Department; powers and duties

(a)  The State Planning Department shall:

(b)  Prepare, and from time to time revise, amend, extend or add
to, a plan or plans for the development of the State, which plan or
plans collectively shall be known as the state development plan. Such
plan shall be based on studies of physical, social, economic and gov-
ernmental conditions and trends and shall aim at the coordinated
development of the State in order to promote the general welfare
and prosperity of its people. In preparing the state development
plan or any part thereof, and in preparing, from time to time, re-
visions, amendments, extensions or additions, the State Planning
Department may seek the cooperation and advice of appropriate
departments, agencies and instrumentalities of federal, state and
local government, regional and metropolitan planning commissions,
educational institutions and research organizations, whether public
or private, and of civic groups and private persons and organizations.
The state development plan shall embody the policy recommendations
of the State Planning Department in regard to the physical develop-
ment of the State and shall contain:

(1)  A statement of the objectives, standards and principles sought
to be expressed in the plan;

(2)  Recommendations for the most desirable general pattern of
land use within the State, in the light of the best available informa-
tion concerning topography, climate, soil and underground conditions,
water sources and bodies of water, and other natural or environ-
mental factors, as well as in the light of the best available information