Editor, Gazette-Journal:

I am writing to express my strong opposition to reducing Gloucester’s countywide Resource Management Area. Considering the amount of land in the county that is located along various waterways, adoption of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act into the county’s ordinances was critical to enhancing water quality measures in zoning and subdivision ordinances and in our comprehensive plan. By embracing the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, the county is integral to protecting drinking water and preserving the Chesapeake Bay.

By definition, RMAs include land types that, if improperly used or developed, have a potential for causing significant water quality degradation or for diminishing the functional value of the Resource Protection Area adjacent to the RMA. Land types like floodplains, highly erodible soils, highly permeable soils, and non-tidal wetlands should be preserved to the county’s fullest ability as the first mechanism to stabilize banks,...