Afforestation in Action: Creating New Forests on the Lower Shore
- Jared Parks
- Jun 27
- 2 min read
LSLT is always looking for unused or less-productive acreage for restoration projects. We work with landowners to establish quail habitat and open meadows, hedgerows between or at the edge of fields, streamside or riparian buffers, and add new or connect forest blocks. Establishing a forest in an area where one is currently absent is called afforestation. The opposite, removing a forest from the landscape, is called deforestation. Over the past few decades, forest mitigation laws have helped stem the loss of forested landscapes to development and alternate land uses by planting forests in new areas. However, there is still a long way to go to reach no-net-loss of forests.
Among the available afforestation programs, a few in Maryland stand out for their potential to greatly increase forested areas in the state. The 5-Million Trees program, the Backyard Buffer program, and the Roots for Resilience grant are planting trees across the State at a rapid rate, and we are looking for more locations to get new landowners involved. The Backyard Buffer program specializes in planting tree species that help remove ground water pollution before it enters waterways such as ditches, streams, and rivers. The Roots for Resilience (R4R) grant is focused on three under-represented species within our Lower Eastern Shore forests; bald cypress (floodplain), Atlantic white cedar (transition between wet and dry), and pond pine (a high and dry species). The 5-Million Trees program is geared towards any native tree species that can be planted in urban or rural areas.
Currently, LSLT is looking for landowners with planting opportunities for the R4R grant. Landowners with non-forested land who would like to establish a forest are encouraged to reach out to LSLT to see what species might be appropriate to fill those spaces. Staff would love to visit with you, view the potential planting areas, and discuss how the program works. LSLT will then work with the Department of Natural Resources Forestry staff to select the sites with the best conditions for each of the target species. If the R4R grant isn’t quite right for your space, there may be opportunities to create a new forest through the other programs. We look forward to hearing from you.
A Regional Coalition for Greater Climate Action
Roots for Resilience is a part of the Atlantic Conservation Coalition. Visit the dashboard to learn more and the Maryland Department of the Environment overview website.
This project has been funded wholly or in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency under assistance agreement 3D25824 to the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The contents of this document do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, nor does the Environmental Protection Agency endorse trade names or recommend the use of commercial products mentioned in this document, as well as any images, video, text, or other content created by generative artificial intelligence tools, nor does any such content necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Environmental Protection Agency.
