Anne Arundel County Watershed Restoration and Forestry

The Anne Arundel County Government (the County), City of Annapolis (the City), and the Chesapeake Bay Trust (the Trust) are partnering to provide funds for projects that support the reduction of pollutants flowing into local waterways, implement cost-effective reforestation and greening efforts, and increase protected forested land. By supporting these stormwater and forestry goals, water and air quality can be improved, habitat and tree cover can be increased and protected, and flooding and erosion can be reduced.

What this funds:

Track 1 – Watershed Planning (City of Annapolis only): requests up to $75,000
Track 2 – Watershed Design: requests up to $150,000
Track 3 – Watershed Restoration Implementation: requests up to $350,000
Track 4 – Permanent Protection of Forested Lands: requests are not capped but should consider total available funding
Track 5 – Afforestation/Reforestation on Protected or Unprotected, Uneased Land: requests are not capped but should consider total available funding
Track 6 – Forestry and Watershed Restoration: requests are not capped but should consider total available funding
- Watershed Restoration specific-components can request up to $350,000

For more information on each track, see the RFP.

Who can apply:
Non-profit organizations, land Trusts, land conservancies, community/homeowners’ associations, faith-based organizations, and more.

Implementation project location:
Anne Arundel County, Maryland INCLUDING the City of Annapolis. See the RFP for guidelines for selecting an appropriate project site.

Is match required? Match is encouraged, but not required.

Unsure of what track is right for you? Click to enlarge the flowchart below.

Resources for Watershed Restoration Projects:

Best Management Practices (BMP) Calculator to calculate nutrient and sediment loads reduced by your project: https://www.aacounty.org/departments/public-works/wprp/bmp-credit-calculator/index.html
Restoration Estimator Tool to compare general estimates for crediting potential between sites by clicking stream segments: https://www.aacounty.org/departments/public-works/wprp/restoration-estimator/index.html
Anne Arundel County BMP Credit Calculations Checklist: https://cbtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/Anne-Arundel-County-BMP-Credit-Calculations-Checklist.docx
Maryland DNR’s Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Boundary Map Viewer: https://webmaps.esrgc.org/cbca/
Watersheds of high priority for restoration in Anne Arundel County as described in Watershed and Assessment Studies: https://live-aacounty.pantheonsite.io/public-works/bwpr/watershed-assessment-planning/watershed-studies
Map of Anne Arundel County Bureau of Watershed Protection and Restoration’s Watershed Restoration Projects: https://annearundelmd.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e7e7fb6733e448a8809938140bed9e18
City of Annapolis’ Stormwater Management Inventory and Watershed Improvement Plan: https://www.annapolis.gov/DocumentCenter/View/983/Watershed-Improvement-Plan-Final-PDF

Refer to the RFP’s appendices for more resources.

Resources for Forestry Projects:

Maryland DNR’s Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Boundary Map Viewer: https://webmaps.esrgc.org/cbca/
Maryland DNR’s GreenPrint Map to determine targeted ecological areas, and lands and watersheds of high ecological value: https://mdgeodata.md.gov/GreenPrint/
Anne Arundel County Council’s Green Infrastructure Network Map to find areas to promote habitat connectivity and support the County’s green infrastructure priorities: https://gis.aacounty.org/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=154d10429da84dc8ac035eaddcdbdf60

Refer to the RFP’s appendices for more resources.

Priority Watershed Areas for Reforestation/Afforestation Projects:

All tree planting projects will be considered; however, priority will be given to reforestation projects within the targeted watershed areas and corresponding acreage noted in red below. For more information on these priority watershed areas or to discuss a project idea, please click on the links below or call Whitney Vong, Program Officer, at 410-974-2941, ext. 122.

Priority 1: County-Designated Watersheds

Acres to be Reforested/Afforested in each County-Designated Watershed below.

County Watershed	Acres Mitigation Required
Bodkin Creek	Mitigation Requirement Met*
Patapsco Non-Tidal	9.42
Patapsco Tidal	Mitigation Requirement Met*
Little Patuxent	2.83
Upper Patuxent	0.0046
Middle Patuxent	Mitigation Requirement Met*
Lower Patuxent	Mitigation Requirement Met*
Magothy River	4.3837
Severn River	Mitigation Requirement Met*
South River	Mitigation Requirement Met*
Rhode River	Mitigation Requirement Met*
West River	Mitigation Requirement Met*
Herring Bay	Mitigation Requirement Met*

*Projects in watersheds where mitigation requirements are met are eligible to apply, but higher priority will be given to projects located in targeted priority watershed areas.

Priority 2: 6-Digit Watersheds

Acres to be Reforested/Afforested in each 6-Digit Watershed.

6-Digit Watershed	Acres Mitigation Required
Patapsco	4.0444
Patuxent	2.8346
West Chesapeake Bay	Mitigation Requirement Met*

*Projects in watersheds where mitigation requirements are met are eligible to apply, but higher priority will be given to projects located in targeted priority watershed areas.

Anne Arundel County’s 30-Year Long-Term Protective Agreement:

For Tracks 5 & 6: A long-term protective agreement is an instrument to ensure protection of your proposed tree planting site. Click the button below to view Anne Arundel County’s Long Term Protective Agreement.

This long-term protective agreement ensures that the plantings are protected and undisturbed for a period of thirty (30) years, except for necessary maintenance as may be required to preserve the health of the tree. The agreement runs with the land and is binding for the entire thirty-year term.

*Note, the City of Annapolis forestry projects will use a different agreement.

View Agreement

Click the button below to view the “frequently asked questions” document.

FAQs Document