In 2012, the State of Maryland passed the Watershed Protection and Restoration Program (HB-987), which applies to the nine largest counties in Maryland (Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Charles, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s) and Baltimore City that are federally required to treat stormwater runoff. The purpose of the fee is to manage pollution carried by stormwater into local waterways. The collected fees are placed in a dedicated fund and used to finance projects that treat polluted stormwater. The fee structure is established independently by each county/city and differs across the State.