The Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) program supports the trees, forests, and green spaces that shape Maryland’s communities. This includes street trees, neighborhood canopy, stream corridors, schoolyard forests, public parks, and other wooded areas woven throughout developed landscapes.
For many Marylanders, these community forests are the forests they experience most directly in daily life. They provide shade, reduce urban heat, improve air quality, absorb stormwater, support wildlife habitat, and help protect local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay.
As Maryland’s communities continue to grow and change, urban and community forestry plays an increasingly important role in climate resilience, public health, environmental education, and quality of life across the state.
A Century of Forestry in Maryland Communities
Maryland has a proud history of leadership in urban and community forestry. The State’s forestry laws and programs helped establish some of the early models for conserving and managing trees within developed landscapes and growing communities.
Maryland’s Roadside Tree Law, enacted in 1914, was among the first statewide laws in the nation focused on protecting and managing roadside trees. The statewide network of Forest Conservancy District Boards, established in 1943, helped build long-term local leadership and public involvement in forestry across Maryland communities.
In 1991, Maryland enacted the Forest Conservation Act, widely recognized as the first statewide law in the country requiring forest conservation as part of the development process.
Today, the Urban and Community Forestry program continues that legacy through partnerships with local governments, nonprofit organizations, schools, volunteers, and community groups in all 24 Maryland jurisdictions. The program also coordinates with the Maryland Urban and Community Forestry Council and supports statewide planting and stewardship efforts through Maryland’s 5 Million Trees Initiative.
Programs and Services
Urban and Community Forestry programs include:
- Forest conservation and development review
- Roadside tree protection and permitting
- Licensed Tree Expert credentialing
- Community tree planting and stewardship
- Schoolyard forests and environmental education
- Grants and technical assistance
- Urban forest planning and outreach
Additional information about these programs is available through the navigation menu on the left side of this page.
Contact Us
Veronica Guerra
Program Administrator, Urban & Community Forestry
Maryland Forest Service
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Avenue, E-1
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
(410) 260-8521
[email protected]
