Forest Conservation Fund

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Montgomery County Forest Conservation Fund

In certain cases, applicants with reforestation requirements per the Forest Conservation Law may contribute to Montgomery County’s Forest Conservation Fund by paying a fee in lieu of planting or protecting forest. As of July 1, 2021, the Forest Conservation Fee-in-Lieu rate is $1.30 per square foot. Effective July 1, 2023, the Forest Conservation Fee-in-Lieu rate will increase to $1.45 per square foot. Fee-in-Lieu payments that contributed to the Forest Conservation Fund during the last two fiscal years are shown below, along with expenditures from the Forest Conservation Fund for forest and tree planting projects throughout Montgomery County.

Forest Conservation Fund Revenue

Fee in Lieu Contributions in Fiscal Years 2021 and 2022

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Developers have contributed funds equal to 64 acres of reforestation through in-lieu fee contributions. The Montgomery County Planning Department has reforested 90 acres with the Forest Conservation Fund to date.

Forest Conservation Fund Expenditures

Fiscal Year 2021, July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021

Jurisdiction	Watershed	Purpose	# Acres	Total Cost*
Silver Spring	Sligo Creek	Reforestation on county parkland	0.27***	$2,400
Bethesda	Little Falls	Reforestation on county parkland	0.33***	$2,900
Chevy Chase	Little Falls	Reforestation on county parkland	0.3	$2,700
Bethesda	Little Falls	Reforestation on county parkland	0.22	$2,000
Chevy Chase	Little Falls	Reforestation on county parkland	0.38	$3,400
Silver Spring	Sligo Creek	Reforestation on county parkland	0.33***	$2,900
Rockville	Cabin John Creek, Lower Rock Creek	Reforestation on county parkland	0.25	$2,200
Kensington	Lower Rock Creek	Reforestation on county parkland	1.21	$10,900
Potomac	Cabin John Creek	Reforestation on county parkland	1.17	$10,500
[throughout  Montgomery County]	[throughout  Montgomery County]	Reforestation on county parkland	n/a	$15,100
[throughout  Montgomery County]	[throughout  Montgomery County]	Purchasing trees and shrubs from Montgomery Parks’ Pope Farm for reforestation on county parkland	n/a	$14,600
[within Priority Funding Areas of Montgomery County]	[throughout  Montgomery County]	Free shade tree planting program	1.06**	$38,100
[throughout  Montgomery County]	[throughout  Montgomery County]	Native tree coupon program	5.43**	$19,300
Dickerson	Little Monocacy River	Re-Leaf the Reserve reforestation – private farmland	2.27	$66,000
Dickerson	Little Monocacy River	Re-Leaf the Reserve reforestation – private farmland	2.7	$79,000
Dickerson	Little Monocacy River	Re-Leaf the Reserve reforestation – private farmland	0.22	$6,400
Bethesda	Little Falls	Transplanting large trees on county parkland	0.06**	$4,700
Silver Spring	Paint Branch	Transplanting large trees on county parkland	0.03**	$2,400
Silver Spring	Lower Rock Creek	Transplanting large trees on county parkland	0.02**	$1,600
Silver Spring	Sligo Creek	Transplanting large trees on county parkland	0.23**	$18,000
Chevy Chase	Little Falls Branch	Transplanting large trees on county parkland	0.18**	$14,100
Silver Spring	Rock Creek DC	Transplanting large trees on county parkland	0.1**	$7,800
Bethesda	Cabin John Creek	Transplanting large trees on county parkland	0.01**	$800
Total			16.77	$327,800
* Rounded to nearest hundred ** Acres calculated by estimating average canopy spread at maturity of 29 feet (equivalent to 661 square feet of tree canopy or 0.015 acre per tree) and a 75% survival rate to account for tree loss and understory trees. *** Planting was supplemental to existing forest. Acres planted reflects half of the total planting area to account for the trees planted being understory trees or planted to connect larger areas of forest.

Fiscal Year 2022, July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022

Jurisdiction	Watershed	Purpose	# Acres	Total Cost*
Rockville	Watts Branch	Reforestation on county parkland	0.5***	$11,300
Rockville	Upper Rock Creek	Reforestation on county parkland	1.78	$40,200
[throughout  Montgomery County]	[throughout  Montgomery County]	Reforestation maintenance on county parkland	n/a	$11,500
[throughout  Montgomery County]	[throughout  Montgomery County]	Native tree coupon program	0.39**	$1,400
Barnesville	Little Monocacy River	Re-Leaf the Reserve reforestation on private farmland	2.21	$66,400
Gaithersburg	Muddy Branch	Reforestation on county parkland	0.12**	$9,100
Gaithersburg	Muddy Branch	Transplanting large trees on county parkland	0.1**	$7,500
Bethesda	Little Falls	Transplanting large trees on county parkland	0.08**	$5,800
Silver Spring	Sligo Creek	Transplanting large trees on county parkland	0.08**	$5,800
Chevy Chase	Lower Rock Creek	Transplanting large trees on county parkland	0.03**	$2,500
Silver Spring	Lower Rock Creek	Transplanting large trees on county parkland	0.1**	$7,500
[within Priority Funding Areas of Montgomery County]	[throughout  Montgomery County]	Free shade tree planting program	1.1**	$37,800
Rockville	Watts Branch	Forest Conservation Easement reforestation on private land – afforestation	1.70	$102,100
Rockville	Watts Branch	Forest Conservation Easement reforestation on private land – afforestation	0.76***	$45,700
Total			8.97	$354,600
* Rounded to nearest hundred ** Acres calculated by estimating average canopy spread at maturity of 29 feet (equivalent to 661 square feet of tree canopy or 0.015 acre per tree) and a 75% survival rate to account for tree loss and understory trees. *** Planting was supplemental to existing forest. Acres planted reflects half of the total planting area to account for the trees planted being understory trees or planted to connect larger areas of forest.