Tree Planting Incentive Programs

​​​ Graphic featuring tree tubes adnd a cute brown and white calf with the message Put the Power of Trees  to Work on Your Farm

FARMERS: Are you ready to grow your income and improve your farm's natural resources? Our tree-planting and agroforestry grants can help you enhance your soil, create healthier conditions for livestock, and support cleaner streams and habitat for fish and small game. Integrating forest crops into your operation can diversify your earnings and boost land productivity. Invest in a sustainable future for your farm—explore our conservation grants today!
Conservation Buffer Initiative
​This program offers farmers and rural landowners attractive incentive payments to plant streamside buffers on farmland to improve the health of local streams and the Chesapeake Bay. Farmers can receive up to $4,500 an acre to install a riparian forest buffer with pasture fencing. ​Riparian forest buffers also qualify for a one-time BONUS PAYMENT of $1,000/acre. This program is accepting applications for its  2024-2025 funding cycle through March 31, 2025. 

Please contact your local soil conservation district to apply for financial assistance and get free technical guidance to install your project. To learn more about this program, click here

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Man emptying a yellow wheelbarrow of manure into a protective area surrounded by Jersey wallshwhe Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program ​
Maryland’s Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) is a federal-state partnership program that pays farmers and rural landowners attractive land rental rates to take environmentally sensitive cropland and pastureland out of production for 10 to 15 years and install best management practices to protect local streams and create wildlife habitat. Farmers who plant new riparian forest buffers next to streams qualify for a one-time BONUS PAYMENT of $1,000/acre


Please contact your local soil conservation district to apply for financial assistance and get free technical guidance to install your project. To learn more about CREP, click here


Healthy Soils Competitive Fund
This competitive grant program awards selected applicants with up to $50,000 to support 3 years of enhanced soil health practices. Agroforestry practices to improve soil health and build climate resilience are ​a great fit. This program is accepting applications for its  2024-2025 funding cycle through March 7, 2025. Examples of popular practices include cover crops, critical area plantings, prescribed grazing, alley cropping, and more. 

Please contact our
Healthy Soils Program​ to apply for this competitive grant program during the 2025 funding cycle. 


Hedgerow Planting  ​
Small trees, shrubs, and grasses planted along the edges of farm fields or roads filter runoff and act as a living fence and wildlife corridor. Hedgerows protect air and water quality, reduce noise, provide shelter for wildlife, and can improve your farm’s aesthetic value. This program is funded by the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program. MACS provides up to 100% cost-share to plant the hedgerow and an additional $2 per planted tree

Please contact your local soil conservation district to apply for cost-share funding and get free technical assistance to install your hedgerow planting.  ​


Silvopasture
Introducing trees into active livestock pastures helps improve soil and water quality, filters runoff, provides shade and shelter for livestock, and captures carbon from the atmosphere. This program is funded by the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program.​ MACS pays up to 87.5% cost-share to install this practice plus $2 per planted tree.

Please contact your local soil conservation district to apply for cost-share funding and get free technical assistance to install your silvopasture.

Tree & Shrub Establishment 
Establishing trees and shrubs on agricultural land outside the stream corridor improves water quality and captures carbon from the atmosphere. This practice can be applied on any site capable of growing woody plants, including land in conservation programs sponsored by USDA, other federal and state agencies, and private organizations. This program is funded by the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program.​ MACS provides up to 100% cost-share to install this practice and an additional $2 per planted tree

Please contact your local soil conservation district to apply for cost-share funding and get free technical assistance to install this practice. 

Purple thistle flowers Windbreak Establishment
Trees and shrubs planted in rows near chicken houses, barnyard areas, and property borders improve air quality, create visual screens, protect against winter winds, and provide shade and habitat for wildlife. This program is funded by the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program. ​MACS offers up to 100% cost-share for this practice and $2 per planted tree

Please contact your local soil conservation district to apply for cost-share funding and get free technical assistance to install this practice. ​

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​Contact Information

Hans Schmidt
Assistant Secretary
Resource Conservation​

Office Address
50 Harry S. Truman Parkway
Annapolis, MD 21401​
P​hone: 410.841.5865

Find your local soil conservation district HERE. 

More Info

Agroforestry Practices | US Forest