Healthy Forests Healthy Waters Project
A joint project of the Maryland Forestry Board
Foundation and the Maryland Forest Service
Funded by the Chesapeake Bay & Atlantic Costal Bays 2010
Trust Fund
For over a year now the Forestry Board Foundation has been working
with the Forest Service, and the Chesapeake Bay Trust Fund to
move forward the proposed project Achieving Nutrient and Sediment
Benefits through Forest Management or as it now is identified the
"Healthy Forests Healthy Waters "Project. To date 13 sites have been
approved in seven Counties.
The Counties are
Allegany =
2
Baltimore = 1
Carroll =
2
Frederick = 1
Garrett =
3
Kent =
1
Queen Anne’s =
3
Under the terms of the Grant Eric Sprague
esprague@allianceforthebay.org, the project's Field Director and I as
PI would like to meet with you in the next several months at one of
your regularly scheduled Board meetings.
Some of you may already have received details about this project.
Local Board engagement is important as you can read below. It is the
details of this engagement, monitoring and follow up we would like to
discuss with your Board. This is a unique and innovative opportunity
to demonstrate the value of local Forestry Boards to encourage local
landowner stewardship and the benefits of Forests to local
watersheds and the Chesapeake Bay. We look forward to working
with and meeting with you.
Please reply to my email address gallenbay@aol.com
Here is some additional information:
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1.
Healthy Forests Healthy Waters Project Background
The implementation of forest management plans is an important
strategy for achieving water quality and other environmental,
economic and social goals. Forest management plans provide
guidance to landowners on how they can meet their management
objectives while sustaining their forest and the benefits it provides.
The Maryland Forest Service works with 400 rural landowners each
year to implement management plans. Yet current estimates suggest
that only 10% of family forest owners have a written management
plan.
This project will:

Deliver quantifiable nutrient and sediment reductions on private
lands through forestry bmp’s in addition to their important ecosystem
services like air pollutant removal and provision of wildlife habitat

Document how focused funding for forest management plan
implementation can help meet water quality goals

Demonstrate how new tools can facilitate implementation of
nutrient and sediment practices

Promote forest management plan and other forest conservation
program implementation
2.
Objectives and Responsibilities
1) Landowner engagement/ BMP implementation - The Maryland
Forest Service in collaboration with Maryland’s Forest District
Conservancy District Boards (Forestry Boards) will engage private
landowners that have proposed, but not yet implemented nutrient and
sediment projects in their forest management plans. State forest
service staff has compiled a list of potential projects representing
counties. Projects can include the following:

Riparian buffer planting

Tree planting

Road stabilization/erosion control/ sediment reductions
Landowners have already been contacted to gauge their continued
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interest in plan implementation, so the levels of practice
implementation may vary. Landowners will be encouraged to use the
Bay Bank Marketplace (http://thebaybank.org/marketplace) to market
their willingness to implement best management practices on their
property. This pilot test of the tool will demonstrate the usefulness of
the Marketplace to landowners for additional funding future
opportunities like forest mitigation banking.
2) Practice implementation - The Maryland Forestry Board
Foundation will contract with natural resource consultants and work
with county Forestry Boards where projects are approved to
implement practices with selected landowners. All consultants will be
required to meet standards for project implementation set by the
Maryland Forest Service and will be encouraged to post their
credentials and services on the Bay Bank’s Service Provider
Matching Tool
(http://thebaybank.org/tools/service_provider_matching). This tool
helps landowners find professionals that can help them design,
implement and market conservation projects. In addition this
information and additional reference information and links will be
made available on the Maryland Forestry Board Foundation web site.
Forestry Board members in each of the selected counties will be
provided materials and be encouraged to serve as volunteer project
managers for projects in their county. As project managers they will
support landowners throughout the project implementation and
maintenance phases. This includes documenting practice (BMP)
implementation progress and advocating for landowner concerns. In
addition, Maryland Forestry Board members will provide information
to landowners on other conservation programs that are available to
help them sustain their property’s ecosystem services. These
programs include permanent easements/mitigation bank
opportunities and current use tax programs.
The Foundation will also contract with a project manager to assist the
county Forestry Boards and manage contracts with natural resource
consultants.
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3.
Monitoring Strategy
To provide assurances that the installed practices will function as
proposed, regional State Foresters will verify all projects. If the
installed practices do not meet state standards, the Forest Service
will require that the consultants adjust the practices.
Forestry Board members will be asked to visit the sites and monitor
each project. Photo documentation will be required as part of the
monitoring report.
4.
Maintenance Plan
Selected landowners have agreed to maintain the installed practice
for its recognized “life-span” of 10 years. Local Forestry Boards will
encourage an extension of the practices and renewal of Forest
Stewardship and Forest Conservation plans. Every project will be
required to maintain their practice according to a state approved
forest management plan.
For further information contact
Gary G. Allen President
Maryland Forestry Boards Foundation
192 Duke of Gloucester Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
gallenbay@aol.com
Office 410 267 8595 Cell 301 717 1579
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Maryland’s Forest Conservancy District Boards
Subtitle 5 of the Natural Resources Article speaks to the creation of
and duties attendant to Maryland’s Forest Conservancy District
Boards – one for each of Maryland’s 23 counties and Baltimore City.
Section 5-606 of the Natural Resources Article requires the Boards
to:
 Promote private forestry by assisting landowners in forest
management,
planting
trees,
conservation
and
development of tree crops, and protection of forests from
fires, insects, and diseases;
 Make available to landowners the services of a forester
and advise them with regard to their forest and tree crop
problems;
 Assist the county assessors in their appraisal of forest
lands for tax purposes;
 Disseminate forest conservation information and collect
data concerning forest conservation problems of the
State;
 Secure the cooperation and assistance of the United
States and any of its agencies and State agencies in
conservation of forest resources of the State;
 Assist private owners of forest land by advice as to the
construction of flood control measures, seeding and
planting of waste slopes, abandoned or eroded lands, and
development of wildlife by planting food or cover
producing trees, bushes and shrubs;
 Receive and pass on proposed work plans for cutting
forest lands;
 Maintain an office, keep a record of its transactions, and
promptly file copies of its decisions and order with the
Department;
 Employ personnel, in addition to the district foresters, as
the Department approves.