Above: Map at left shows forest cover lost (in red) 2001-2019. Forest lost is mainly in the mid-county and down-county areas. At right: map shows forest cover gained in green from 2001-2019. Losses were minimized and gains maximized due to legislation.
Our current laws and goals of updating and strengthening the County Street Tree Protection Law and the Tree Canopy Law, are timely considering the findings of the recent Technical Study on Changes in Forest Cover and Tree Canopy in Maryland. The research results are a collaboration between the Chesapeake Conservancy, University of Vermont Spatial Analysis Lab, Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, University of Maryland College for Agriculture and Natural Resources. It was requested by the Maryland State Legislature. The study found that Prince George’s County and Montgomery County had the most significant loss of tree canopy to development. They are among five Maryland counties that represent 73% of the state tree canopy lost to development. The study also identified a total of 373,507 acres of land in Maryland that hold potential for afforestation and reforestation. Baltimore County led the list with 46,607 acres of land where trees can be planted, followed by Montgomery County with 37,145 potential acres for planting trees. lvii Much of the space may not be viable for tree planting since these acres include ball fields, areas heavily covered by invasive species, private property, and road medians. But some of the best opportunities for planting trees are on private property and parkland.
63
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker