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 July 1, 2023, the Forest Conservation Fee-in-Lieu rate is $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 – 2023
Through the end of Fiscal Year 2023 (June 30, 2023), developers had contributed funds equal to 64 acres of reforestation through in-lieu fee contributions and the Montgomery County Planning Department had reforested 74 acres with the Forest Conservation Fund.
Forest Conservation Fund Expenditures
Fiscal Year 2023, July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023
| Jurisdiction | Watershed | Purpose | # Acres | Total Cost* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaithersburg | Middle Great Seneca Creek | Reforestation on county parkland | 0.20 | $5,400 |
| Derwood | Upper Rock Creek | Reforestation on county parkland | 1.00 | $26,800 |
| Kensington | Lower Rock Creek | Reforestation on county parkland | 0.60 | $16,100 |
| Potomac | Watts Branch | Reforestation on county parkland | 2.685*** | $72,100 |
| [throughout Montgomery County] | [throughout Montgomery County] | Reforestation maintenance on county parkland | n/a | $26,900 |
| [throughout Montgomery County] | [throughout Montgomery County] | Native tree coupon program | 12.79** | $48,800 |
| Boyds | Little Seneca Creek | Re-Leaf the Reserve reforestation on private farmland | 1.80 | $63,600 |
| Dickerson | Little Monocacy River | Re-Leaf the Reserve reforestation on private farmland | 1.60 | $56,400 |
| Gaithersburg | Muddy Branch | Transplanting large trees on county parkland | 0.09** | $8,200 |
| Gaithersburg | Middle Great Seneca Creek | Transplanting large trees on county parkland | 0.03** | $3,100 |
| Gaithersburg | Middle Great Seneca Creek | Transplanting large trees on county parkland | 0.09** | $8,200 |
| Bethesda | Lower Rock Creek | Transplanting large trees on county parkland | 0.1** | $9,300 |
| Kensington | Lower Rock Creek | Transplanting large trees on county parkland | 0.06** | $5,200 |
| Silver Spring | Paint Branch | Transplanting large trees on county parkland | 0.1** | $9,300 |
| [within Priority Funding Areas of Montgomery County] | [throughout Montgomery County] | Free shade tree planting program | 1.34** | $47,500 |
| Potomac | Cabin John Creek | Forest Conservation Easement reforestation on private land | 0.25 | $17,200 |
| Potomac | Cabin John Creek | Forest Conservation Easement reforestation on private land | 0.25*** | $17,200 |
| Derwood | Cabin John Creek | Forest Conservation Easement reforestation on private land | 0.44*** | $30,200 |
| Rockville | Watts Branch | Forest Conservation Easement reforestation on private land – maintenance | n/a | $11,000 |
| Total | 23,428 | $482,500 |
** 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 | Transplanting large trees 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 |
** 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 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 |
** 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.
Contact
Mia Rothberg
301-495-4614
Email