DNR: 520,000 trees planted last year as Maryland scales Tree Solutions Now Act toward 5 million goal

Secretary Josh Kurtz, head of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, told the House Environment and Transportation Committee on the afternoon the department has sharply increased tree plantings under the Tree Solutions Now Act and is working to meet the law’s 5 million‑tree goal.

Kurtz said DNR planted about 470,000 trees in the program’s first two years and that, “In last year alone, we planted 520,000 trees. That’s a 111% increase, year over year,” and that the agency planted its one‑millionth tree in fall 2024. He said DNR is currently slated to plant about 220,000 DNR‑only trees in the coming spring, a 46% increase over DNR spring plantings last year.

The nut of the program, Kurtz said, is that the Tree Solutions Now Act directs resources to rural, suburban and urban tree planting; prioritizes native trees and canopy coverage; and funds site preparation and multi‑year maintenance that previous programs did not. “It focused resources in our rural, our urban, and our suburban communities for tree planting,” Kurtz said, adding the program supports water‑quality and habitat goals and a 10% set‑aside for underserved…