This legislative session, the Maryland General Assembly passed three bills that NeighborSpace helped advocate for. While each Act has its own focus, together this new legislation will greatly advance land conservation in Maryland.
HB 503 (SB 923) establishes the Greenspace Equity Program in the Department of Natural Resources, with the goal of enhancing the health and livability of overburdened or underserved communities. The program will provide grant funding to implement projects that preserve, create, and enhance community greenspace. Eligible applicants include land trusts, community organizations, and local governments, and “community greenspace” includes gardens, gathering open spaces, woodlands, parks, green networks, trails, and even urban farms. The purpose of this act aligns closely with NeighborSpace’s mission and we are excited for the opportunities it will provide to protect and restore more land in Baltimore County communities.
The Maryland the Beautiful Act (SB 470, HB 631) establishes a state goal to conserve 30% of Maryland’s lands by 2030 and 40% by 2040. To help implement these goals, the bill sets up a Revolving Loan Fund for land trusts as well as the 40×40 Land Conservation Implementation Grant Program. Both the Loan Fund and the Grant Program, which provides funding for capacity-building, stewardship and community engagement, will allow land trusts across the state to grow and conserve an increasing number of acres.
Last but not least, the Forest Preservation and Retention Act (HB 723, SB 526) made important changes to already existing forest conservation law. This bill improves a 30-year-old act by updating the statewide goal to achieving a net gain of forest land and tree canopy (rather than maintaining no net loss). By strengthening mitigation requirements, the act better protects priority and contiguous blocks of forest and ensures that more trees are replanted when forests do come down. More importantly, it provides effective tools to keep more trees in the ground in the first place.
NeighborSpace thanks the legislators who sponsored these bills and those of you who took the time to provide oral or written testimony. Onward and upward toward a greener Maryland!