Maryland Forest Conservation Act and proposed revisions

Maryland’s Forest Conservation Act was adopted to minimize the loss of Maryland’s forest resources during land developing by making identification and protection of forests and other sensitive areas a part of the local land use site planning process. 2018’s proposed S. 610 would have amended the Forest Practice Act to better define priority forests; clarify what justifies clearing priority forests; and require that an acre of forest be replanted for each acre of priority forest cut down.