In spring 2024, Western Maryland RC&D Council’s Western Maryland Afforestation Program completed our largest planting year to date. We partnered with the Maryland Forest Service and 18 landowners to establish native forests on 178.9 acres of private and public land in Garrett, Allegany, Washington, and Frederick Counties, Maryland, including 76.8 acres of new riparian buffer and plantings on 17.46 acres of formerly mined lands.
In addition to providing wildlife habitat and water quality benefits in the local watersheds of western Maryland, these plantings will improve the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay by reducing the flow of nutrients into the Bay. Estimated annual nutrient reductions achieved by these projects include 149.89 pounds of Phosphorus, 5,210.52 pounds of Nitrogen, and 320.46 tons of suspended solids.
Project funding was provided by Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund.