Frederick County offers landowners up to $9,000 an acre for permanent forest
Creek ReLeaf applications are open through Dec. 31 for eligible landowners willing to place at least two acres under a permanent forest easement.
HERE'S WHAT WE KNOW
Applications are open through Dec. 31 for at least two acres of eligible open or underused land. Compensation is based on an independent appraisal and can reach $9,000 per acre. The county pays for native planting and five years of maintenance, while an easement requires the land to remain forest permanently.
Frederick County landowners with at least two acres of open or underused land can apply for a program that pays to establish a forest while keeping the property in their ownership.
The county is accepting Creek ReLeaf applications through Dec. 31, according to reporting by The Frederick News-Post. Eligible acreage can be a single parcel or contiguous parcels.
The program combines county-funded planting with compensation for a permanent easement. Program manager Linda Williamson told the newspaper that an independent appraisal determines the landowner’s payment, with awards of up to $9,000 per acre.
That maximum is not a guaranteed payment for every property.
Under the program, landscaping contractors plant trees and shrubs native to Maryland. The county also pays contractors to maintain the planting for five years, reducing the landowner’s initial maintenance responsibilities.
In exchange, the enrolled land must remain forest permanently. Williamson said owners cannot clear it to build a house or install a playground.
Owners retain the land and can continue compatible activities, including hunting and walking paths, according to the report. The permanent restriction on clearing or development is a central part of the arrangement.
The county has scheduled four open houses for residents who want to learn more.
The first is Oct. 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Middletown Branch Library on East Green Street. A second takes place Nov. 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Thurmont Regional Library on East Moser Road.
On Nov. 14, an open house runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the University of Maryland Extension on Montevue Lane. That session includes a tour of a reforestation planting, according to the county information cited in the article.
The final listed session is Dec. 8 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Walkersville Branch Library on South Glade Road.
The application address provided in the report is:
https://tinyurl.com/CreekReLeaf
WHAT IT MEANS
Creek ReLeaf offers landowners a way to establish forest and receive compensation while retaining ownership. The key tradeoff is permanent: enrolled acreage cannot later be cleared for a house or other incompatible use. The five-year maintenance period does not limit the duration of the forest easement.
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