A partnership in Carroll County between Maryland Forest Service, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Farm Service Agency, Maryland Department of Agriculture, and Carroll County Soil Conservation District has shown that good collaboration among partners can help to radically improve the rate of forest buffer restoration.
Through effective outreach and technical expertise Maryland Forest Service staff, soil conservation technicians as well as planners, and regional administrative staff all work toward the common goal of greatly increasing the rate of riparian forest restoration and stewardship assistance on private lands.
The Maryland Forest Service has been especially helpful with CREP site remediation. Maryland Forest Service based out of Carroll County’s Morgan Run Center Forest Service Office, has established over 2,700 acres in riparian forest buffers, reforesting over 114 miles of streams in Carroll County, and planted more than a half a million trees (675,231 seedlings to be exact) in the last 15 years that will remain in multi-year temporary easements. Maryland Forest Service also does survival inspections, invasive plant control projects, reinforcement plantings, and compliance inspections. Other partners with Carroll County Forestry Board, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, the Chesapeake Bay Trust, Volunteer Maryland, and The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, compliment the work with volunteer labor, grant assistance, interns, and financial backing.
