MD’s Forest Laws, Management Programs, Policies and the MD’s

GGRA June6,2018

Forest-ClimateWorkingGroup

BigPicture:

2013ForestPreservationAct–maintain40%treecanopystatewide

2014ChesapeakeBayAgreement– expandurbantreecanopyby2400acresby2025

(MD:45ac/yr;540acreby2025)2009GreenhouseGasReductionAct–MD’sgoalof25%reductioninGHGfrom2006levelsby2020

USFSForestActionPlan

• Maryland’sForestLaws:– RoadsideTreeLaw(1914)– LicensedTreeExpert(1965)– ReforestationLaw(1988)–WoodlandIncentiveProgram– ForestConservationAct(1991)– SustainableForestryActof2009– 2013ForestPreservationAct

(trackgainsandlosses)

Existingforest

Retainedforest

Clearedforest

Plantedforest

County 194,487ac 119,177 ac 70,646ac 18,132ac

State 82,216ac 49,383ac 27,757ac 9,857ac

Municipal 3,626ac 2,030ac 1,779ac 1,485ac

Total 280,331ac 170,589ac 100,183ac 29,474ac

20YearsofForestConservationAct(draft)

• Retainedforest- underlongtermprotection(LTP);additionalonsiteretentionmayhaveoccurredwithoutLTP

• Stateprogramincludesstateandfederalprojectsandmunicipalities

thatdidn’tadoptanordinance.

• Maryland’sForestPrograms(incentives):– ForestConservationManagementAgreement(FCMA)

– ForestStewardshipProgram– Tree-MendousMaryland– GiftofTreeProgram–MarylandersPlantTreesCoupon(2009– present)– LawntoWoodlandprogram(2014– 2016)– UrbanForestrygrantprogram(Spring2018pilot)

Neededtocreated2newplantingassistanceprograms

1)MDOfficeofPlanning,over1millionofacresofmowedturfinMaryland.

2)Reachnon-traditionalcooperators(<10acofland)

…theurbanandsuburbanlotowner…(theownersoftheturf)

Smallerlotsize=smallerplantable space

–MarylandersPlantTreesCoupon– LawntoWoodlandprogram

1st programMarylandersPlantTrees

targetsthelandownerwantingtoplantatree- reachesthetownhouseowner–

FY09-FY17:44,104couponsreimbursedtoapproximately85nurseries

2nd programLawntoWoodland

targetslandownerswith1– 4acresofplantablespace

- Nocosttolandowner

• 2014LawntoWoodland(partneredwithADF)(plantingplan,planting,pre-selectedspecies,one

post-mowing--- paidforbyMDForestService)

ADFmailed1,000flyers;10%response.

– Planted14.3acreson12sites– Seedlingorder7,600seedlingsplusshelters– Equipment– 2tractorsformowing– contractplusabove=$949.79peracre

LawntoWoodland(peryear/total)

Seedlingspecies:Blackoak,Chestnutoak,Northernredoak,Whiteoak,Commonninebark,Americanhazelnut,Commonpersimmon,andEasternredbud

Tubesandmatsused;noteachseedling

2015 2016 2014 Total

100ac 60ac 14.3ac 174.3ac

84sites 55sites 12sites 151sites

41,200seedlings

18,729seedlings 7,600seedlings

67,529seedlings

$2,732.24/ac $2,418.46/ac $949.75/ac

Results

• MarylandersPlantTrees– FY09thruFY17,44,104couponsreimbursed

• LawntoWoodland– 174ac;151lots;67,529seedlings– Survivability85-90%atoneyear;eachplanting

LessonslearnedthruLawntoWoodland:

– Statecontracts:commoditiesvslaborcontracts– Continuedfundingsources– Landowners:lotsize,dogfences– Treetubecomplaints

Year FCA 5-103 Tree-Mendous/MPT Totals

2006 623,700 33,750 8,178 665,628

2007 473,400 27,000 6,057 506,457

2008 499,500 9,900 2,160 511,560

2009 450,900 13,950 39,020 503,870

2010 337,950 308,250 23,000 669,200

2011 481,050 15,750 17,200 514,000

2012 42,300 68,850 21,700 132,850

2013 119,250 23,850 23,800 166,900

2014 140,580 24,615 21,500 186,695

2015 142,875 6,251 8,435 157,561

2016 341,640 2,705 8,798 353,143

Totals 3,653,145 534,871 179,848 4,367,864 (# of trees)

GGRAdatabase(trackingtrees)

Cum

ulat

ive

Num

ber

of T

rees

Pla

nted

Increasing Urban Trees to Capture Carbon

2013ForestPreservationAct:- DNRprovideastatewideforestresourceinventorytolocalgovernmentsevery5years

- “..apolicyoftheStatetoencouragetheretentionandsustainablemanagementofforestlandsby(1)achievingnonetlossofforestlands;…”

- Nonetlossofforestdefinedas:40%ofalllandinMarylandis

coveredbytreecanopy.

- Ensuredualcertificationofstate’sforest

- RevisedReforestationLaw,WoodlandIncentiveProgram,ForestConservationAct,andFireHazards(Wildfire)

- Doesnotincentivizetheconversionofprimeagland

BigPicture:

2013ForestPreservationAct–maintain40%treecanopystatewide

2014ChesapeakeBayAgreement– expandurbantreecanopyby2400acresby2025

(MD:45ac/yr;540acreby2025)2009GreenhouseGasReductionAct–MD’sgoalof25%reductioninGHGfrom2006levelsby2020

USFSForestActionPlan

Marian HoneczySupervisor, Urban & Community Forestry

Maryland Forest Service marian.honeczy@maryland.gov

(410) 260-8511