Critical Area Reforestation Evaluation (CARE) Committee
Overview
"Free Trees in the Critical Area"
The Calvert County Critical Area Program, implemented in December 1988, requires the county to maintain 100% of existing forest cover within the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area (land within 1,000 feet of tidal waters). When maintenance or replacement of forest cover on site is not possible, a fee is collected to cover the cost of replacement on another tract within the critical area. These fees-in-lieu of replanting are held in the Critical Area Reforestation Fund and subsequently used to plant appropriate sites as approved by the Critical Area Reforestation Evaluation (CARE) Committee.
Free trees are available for Critical Area property owners who have an area on their property they would like to replant with trees to help the county maintain 100 percent of existing forest cover within the Critical Area.
Application
An Application must be filed with the Department of Planning & Zoning to be considered by the CARE Committee for free trees and planting sites. The CARE Committee reviews all applications for reforestation or tree planting using the Critical Area Reforestation Fund.