Small Forest Protection Program

Abstract

The Montgomery County Planning Department asked our team of Environmental Science and Policy capstone students at the University of Maryland to create a set of deliverables that would support the creation of Montgomery Planning’s Small Forest Protection Program. This program will allow owners of small, forested properties to help developers meet offsite forest retention requirements under the Forest Conservation Law. A reinterpretation of the County’s Forest Conservation Law limits the availability of offsite forest credits available for purchase by developers seeking to meet their forest-retention requirements. The new small forest program being launched by Montgomery Planning will meet the need for additional forest availability for developers to meet offsite retention requirements. The project’s deliverables are an informative webpage outline and application process for prospective program participants; an attribute table of potentially eligible property owners and their contact information, identified via spatial analysis using Geographical Information Systems; and a draft letter of solicitation to property owners informing them of how they can be involved in the program. These deliverables were founded primarily on research into Montgomery Planning’s website and its previous initiatives. Existing webpages were analyzed to determine the features that contribute to their current success. To identify property owners for the program, a GIS map was constructed by conducting a spatial analysis of various layers provided by Montgomery Planning. From this map, potentially eligible property owners were identified to be contacted with the letter of solicitation. In our final webpage guideline, we include a program overview, requirements for property owners, how they can apply, and information for developers. Additionally, we include Frequently Asked Questions and a section of contact information for department staff. Finally, the application form layout includes all the information property owners need to be considered for inclusion in the program. Using the GIS map, almost 10,000 potentially eligible properties were identified. Several specific areas from the initial property list are recommended for closer attention due to the community benefits and ecosystem services that they provide. These properties may be considered for future contact by Montgomery Planning as they launch the new small forest program.