Anne Arundel County Government and the Chesapeake Bay Trust announce a partnership to provide funds for forestry projects and land protection in Anne Arundel County. The goal of this program is to implement cost-effective reforestation and greening projects and increase the number of acres of protected forested land in the County. 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 reduced. By protecting forested land, valuable ecological services such as habitat, water quality, and flood control can be ensured for the future.
What this funds:
- Reforestation/afforestation of Protected Lands
- Permanent protection of Forested Lands
- Reforestation/afforestation and Protection of Uneased and Unforested Lands
Who can apply: Land Trusts, land conservancies, faith-based organizations, community associations; service and civic groups, public agencies, public and independent higher educational institutions, and other nonprofit entities (e.g., focused on a conservation). Projects located in the City of Annapolis limits are not eligible.
How much can be awarded: Up to $755,000 is currently available for this round of the program. Reimbursement cannot be made for already completed projects.
Is match required? Match is encouraged, but not required.
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.
Program Status: OPEN
Deadline is Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 4PM EDT
Click Here to View the Request for Proposals (RFP)
Grant Questions & Technical Support
Whitney Vong
wvong@cbtrust.org
410-974-2941 x122
View the Trust’s Application Accessibility Statement
Click Here to View the Trust's Accessibility Statement
Additional Resources
For Track 3: Reforestation/Afforestation and Protection of Unforested Lands, a long-term protective agreement is an instrument to ensure protection of your proposed tree planting site. Click the button below to view the 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.
Narrative questions must be answered and uploaded as a Microsoft Word or PDF file in your online application. Click on the respective button below to access to the narrative questions template specific to the project track you are applying for.
