Maryland’s Land Preservation Plan Must Prioritize Trees

As Maryland finalizes its land conservation plan for the next decade, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is urging state leaders to require more trees along rivers and streams. Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is currently seeking public input on its Draft 2027 – 2037 Maryland Land Preservation and Recreation Plan, which outlines statewide priorities for land conservation over the next ten years. The public still has time to submit comments on the plan through June 28.

In its comments submitted this week, CBF encouraged DNR to protect and prioritize more trees along rivers and streams—called riparian buffers. Riparian buffers, particularly on farmland, are essential to healthy habitats and ecosystems. They are also an extremely effective way to reduce runoff pollution, erosion, mitigate the threats of climate change, and cool down streams.

“Trees are our best climate heroes,” said CBF Maryland Staff Scientist Gussie Maguire. “In addition to capturing carbon and providing shade on these hot summer days, trees along our waterways create a natural filter for Maryland’s two leading pollution sources—agricultural and stormwater pollution that runs off the land and into our waterways.”

Because of their many benefits to clean water and communities, CBF and other environmental partners have planted hundreds of acres of riparian buffers on Maryland farmland. Tree planting is a critical component of regenerative agriculture, which enhances a farm’s ecosystem and soil health, in turn improving water quality, restoring biodiversity, and mitigating climate threats.

Unfortunately, new riparian buffers are not keeping pace with deforestation and development. Riparian forests in Maryland shrunk by 1,828 acres between 2013 and 2022.

To help prioritize riparian buffers, and make it easier for Maryland farmers to implement them, CBF recommends the following enhancements to DNR’s Land Preservation and Recreation Plan:

Mandate regenerative agriculture practices, including riparian forest buffers, as a baseline condition for leasing farmland owned by the state;
Require 100-foot forested buffers to be planted on all newly protected land funded by state land preservation programs;
Increase investments in land preservation programs that can fund the cost of riparian buffer planting and maintenance.

“Just conserving land is not enough. We must also restore it,” added Maguire. “Now is the perfect opportunity for DNR to enhance its restoration requirements on state-protected agricultural land. It’s a total win-win.”

DNR’s Land Preservation and Recreation Plan addresses all state conservation land, including state parks, state forests, agricultural sites, and more. The public can comment on the plan through June 28. More information is available on DNR’s website.