The Charles County Forestry Grant Program aims to implement cost-effective reforestation projects in the County to increase tree canopy and as a result create forest habitat and improve water quality in the county’s local watersheds and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.
Donor Name: Chesapeake Bay Trust
State: Maryland
County:
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: Ongoing
Size of the Grant: $23,500
Grant Duration: 12 months
Details:
The goal of this program is to implement cost-effective reforestation projects in the County to increase tree canopy and as a result create forest habitat and improve water quality in the county’s local watersheds and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. By increasing tree cover and expanding green areas, erosion can be reduced, water and soil quality can be improved, airborne pollutants such as particulates, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide can be filtered, and summer temperatures and resulting ozone pollution and energy use can be decreased.
Projects on individual private, commercial private, community-owned, school sites, and non-profit owned property are eligible for funding. Projects on federal and state land cannot be considered under this funding source.
Land currently protected under a long-term agreement or other protection vehicle will be given priority. Landowners must be willing to agree to long-term protection and maintenance of the tree planting project funded under this program. Proposed project sites must not be currently forested and must be available for reforestation or afforestation. Projects to protect already forested land cannot be considered under this funding source. Projects should be on the scale of at least 0.5 acres. For tree planting projects less than this size, please consider the Trust’s Mini Community Engagement Grant Program.
Preference will be given to projects that:
- establish and enhance riparian buffers;
- create and enhance larger contiguous tracts of forest; and
- create and enhance habitat, including habitat for forest interior dwelling species.
Funding Information
The funding partners, Chesapeake Bay Trust and Charles County Government, anticipate that approximately $23,500 will be available for this grant program in FY23. Funding availability in subsequent years will be updated each year.
Project Timeline
Projects must be completed within 12 months upon receipt of the award. Requests to extend project completion period will be reviewed and considered on a case-by-case basis.
Eligible Project Types
This opportunity is open to:
- applicants who have the capacity and interest in leading a project through implementation
- applicants, such as individual landowners or small homeowners associations, who have project site ideas that they would like to offer for tree planting projects, but who are not able serve as project leads.
Applicants may therefore apply to either:
- serve as project manager to implement a forestry project (Track A), or
- offer project site ideas and obtain technical assistance from the Trust in implementing a forestry project (Track B).
Eligibility Criteria
- 501(c)3 Private Nonprofit Organizations
- Faith-based organizations
- Community Associations
- Service and Civic Groups
- Public Agencies
- Soil/Water Conservation Districts & Resource Conservation and Development Councils
- Public and Independent Higher Educational Institutions
- Individual private or commercial landowners
- Consultants, contractors, and other for-profit entities
For more information, visit Charles County Forestry Grant.
