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 urban areas.

DNR officials told the committee the program’s recent growth reflects three investments: staff capacity, partnerships with private and nonprofit nurseries, and planning that lets the agency forward‑project planting schedules. Kurtz said DNR built an 11‑person team and expanded nursery supply through private growers and regional cooperation with Pennsylvania and Virginia to meet seedling demand.

Maryland Department of the Environment compiles and QA‑checks the statewide reporting and geotagging, Kurtz said, and DNR supplies the plantings. Kurtz described several partners that have helped expand access to public and institutional lands for plantings, including Interfaith Partners for the Chesapeake and the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education.

Lawmakers pressed DNR on funding and implementation risks. One member noted the governor’s budget reduced a previously proposed $2.5 million line for the Department of Agriculture’s Tree Solutions Now Act allocation; Kurtz described that action as a transfer of CREP (Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program) match funding into an existing LEAF account that can still be used for buffer tree planting but acknowledged the department would account for the change. Kurtz said CREP enrollment has declined and that the department does not expect that bonus alone would have driven large new enrollments.

Delegates asked about survivorship in hot, drought conditions and animal browse. Anne Harston Strang, the State Forester, said survivorship depends on site conditions, species selection and irrigation. “Anything that’s done through DNR programs, we routinely do the tree checks, and … maintenance for the first … two to three up to five years, that includes replanting,” she said. Kurtz and Strang described measures for suburban deer pressure—funded protective tree tubes and alternate protective coverings when necessary.

The department also discussed shifting species choices because of climate stressors. Kurtz and Strang said red oaks have shown elevated die‑off in Maryland; DNR is diversifying nursery stock and choosing more water‑tolerant or drought‑tolerant species where appropriate, and retaining traditional species at suitable microsites. They said nursery mixes include swamp white oak, swamp chestnut oak, and understory species such as redbud. Strang said DNR uses soil amendments and larger containerized stock on sites where survivorship risk is higher; that approach is more costly but improves establishment rates.

Committee members asked about regional and federal partnerships; Kurtz said DNR coordinates with the National Park Service on reservoir forest management and is developing cross‑state planting schedules with Pennsylvania and Virginia to stabilize nursery supply.

Why it matters: the Tree Solutions Now Act ties tree planting to water‑quality, climate and equity goals and creates funding to pay for post‑planting care. DNR officials said the program’s success will depend on sustained staff capacity, nursery supply and coordination with local governments and nonprofits. Kurtz said the department will continue to forward‑project plantings in future reports and expects the upcoming reporting cycle to show a steeper trajectory toward the 5 million‑tree goal. The committee offered condolences to DNR for the recent death of a longtime fisheries staff member and closed the briefing after Q&A.