Voting For Garrett County's Future.

Deborah Carpenter, Director of Department of Planning and Land Management explains map to guests.

The 2018 November General Election will be the first time Maryland and Garrett County residents will be voting since the unprecedented fracking ban was passed in the 2017 Maryland General Assembly. The prohibition of horizontal gas drilling embroiled the state in a years-long conflict before Governor Hogan erred on the side of caution at an impromptu press conference when he stated, "The potential environmental risks of fracking simply outweigh any potential benefits."

This announcement came as a welcomed surprise to legislators and grassroots organizations who were poised for a bitter battle. His endorsement of the ban that began in the House of Delegates, helped sail it through the Maryland Senate where it was uncertain whether enough votes would topple the gas industry's plan to drill in Garrett County.