The Mel Noland Woodland Incentive Program is Maryland's primary state-administered cost-share program for private forest management. It reimburses eligible landowners for up to 65 percent of the cost of approved silvicultural practices, including thinning, pruning, prescribed burning, crop tree release, invasive species control, site preparation, and seedling purchase and planting.

The program is available to owners of 5 to 1,000 acres of private non-industrial forestland. Property must not have received WIP assistance for the same practice within the previous 15 years. Landowners complete approved practices, pay for goods and services, and submit documentation to their local MFS forester. Upon approval, a reimbursement check is issued. The program distributes approximately $100,000 annually to 75 to 100 landowners across 1,500 to 2,000 acres statewide.

To apply, contact your local Maryland Forest Service office.

• WIP Application Form
• WIP Application Procedure
• WIP Brochure

The Environmental Quality Incentives Program is administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and provides cost-share payments and technical assistance to agricultural and forestry producers. Eligible practices include silvicultural treatments, stream exclusion fencing, prescribed burning, wildlife habitat improvement, invasive species control, and nutrient management planning. Eligible land includes cropland, pasture, and private non-industrial forestland. Cost-share rates are typically 50 percent, with higher rates available for limited-resource producers and beginning farmers. Contracts run one to ten years.

Maryland Forest Service staff serve as technical service providers, assisting landowners in identifying and implementing eligible forestry practices under EQIP. To apply, contact your local USDA NRCS service center or your local Maryland Forest Service office.

The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program is administered by the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in partnership with NRCS, local Soil Conservation Districts, and the Maryland Forest Service. CREP supports establishment of riparian forest buffers, wetland restoration, and retirement of highly erodible cropland near waterways. Enrolled landowners receive cost-share payments for practice installation and annual land rental payments for the duration of a 10 to 15-year contract. Combined federal and state cost-share through CREP and the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program can reach up to 87.5 percent of eligible installation costs.

Current Maryland CREP enrollment controls an estimated 1.8 million pounds of nitrogen, 24,000 pounds of phosphorus, and 22,800 tons of sediment annually. Maryland Forest Service staff serve as technical service providers for CREP. To apply, contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office or local Maryland Forest Service office.

• Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program

The Conservation Stewardship Program is administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Unlike project-based cost-share programs, CSP rewards producers who are already practicing conservation and want to do more. It provides annual payments for maintaining existing conservation activities and adopting new enhancements across an entire operation. Eligible enhancements for forestland include invasive species management, prescribed burning, wildlife habitat improvement, and forest stand treatments layered on top of existing practices. Eligible land includes private agricultural and forestland with no minimum acreage requirement. Contracts run five years.

To apply, contact your local USDA NRCS service center.

Healthy Forests Healthy Waters is a fully funded reforestation program administered by the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the Maryland Forestry Foundation, with technical support from the Maryland Forest Service. The program provides participating landowners with a turnkey tree planting project on one acre or more of open land, including site preparation, planting by experienced contractors, and three years of follow-up maintenance. Landowners commit to maintaining the new forest cover for at least ten years. As of spring 2025, the program has planted over 730,000 trees on more than 530 private landowner sites across 19 Maryland counties.

HFHW funds reforestation and afforestation of open land only. It does not fund management of existing forest. To participate, contact the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay at [email protected] or the Maryland Forestry Foundation at [email protected].

The Maryland Farm Stewardship Program is a Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) initiative that provides free plant material, installation, and three years of maintenance for streamside forest buffers and upland tree plantings on private farmland. The program coordinates with agency programs for associated practices such as stream bank fencing and livestock watering. Livestock producers may also access support for conversion to rotational grazing through the CBF-led Maryland Grazers Network.

To participate, contact the Chesapeake Bay Foundation at [email protected] or 443-482-2175.