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County staff outline major forest conservation changes and new tree‑planting requirements to meet state law
Summary
Planning staff presented a comprehensive update to the county Forest Conservation Act to align with Maryland legislation, including a one‑to‑one reforestation rule, expanded riparian buffer afforestation, new review requirements for clearing in priority forest areas, and proposed fee‑in‑lieu increases; DNR reviewed the language and the Planning Commission recommended favorably.
County planners presented a detailed update to Queen Anne's County's Forest Conservation Act (proposed Ordinance 2612) on May 26, telling commissioners the changes are required to comply with recent Maryland legislation (SB 526 and HB 1511).
Doug Summers, county planner, said one of the most significant shifts is a move to a one‑to‑one reforestation standard. "One‑to‑one reforestation rate — essentially, if you cut a tree, you have to plant a tree," Summers said, describing how the rule applies across site plans, subdivisions and grading permits, with some reduced rates for multifamily in growth areas. The proposal also requires property owners with unforested riparian buffers to afforest the entire length of those buffers where the Act applies.
Other changes include expanded forest delineation types, required county approval for clearing within newly defined priority forest areas, and new public‑notice obligations for forest conservation plans. The code update would also align fees in lieu with critical area rates and authorize increased fee‑in‑lieu rates to ensure the county meets statewide canopy goals.
Summers said staff collaborated with GIS to map existing easements and reviewed worksheets, checklists and legal documents; the Department of Natural Resources has provided approval on the county's language and the Planning Commission recommended the update. Commissioners held the matter for two weeks for final consideration.
If adopted, the ordinance would take local code into conformance with state deadlines and require implementing new administrative processes for delineation, mitigation and public notification.
