• Agriculture
• Air Pollution
• Bay Grasses
• Blue Crabs
• Chemical Contaminants
• Climate Change
• Development
• Education
• Forests
• Forest Buffers
• Groundwater
• Invasive Species
• Menhaden
• Nutrients
• Oysters
• Population Growth
• Rivers and Streams
• Sediment
• Shad
• Stormwater Runoff
• Striped Bass
• Wastewater
• Weather
• Wetlands

Read More

What are forest buffers?

Forest buffers are areas of trees, shrubs and plants adjacent to a body of water, such as a stream or river. Forest buffers are also known as riparian forests or streamside forests.

Why are forest buffers important?

Riparian forest buffers provide enormous benefits to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its streams, creeks and rivers. Forest buffers filter and absorb pollution from runoff before it flows into waterways. They also stabilize stream banks, which reduces erosion and keeps rivers and streams healthy.

Forest buffers are also vital to life on land and in the water. Trees and shrubs along the edges of waterways provide habitat for numerous species, including birds, fish, mammals and amphibians. Additionally, forest buffers help keep river waters cool, an important factor for many fish.

Forest buffers capture and filter pollution

Riparian forests are a last line of defense against pollution that washes off the land.

• Trees, shrubs and other plants slow stormwater runoff, filtering out sediment and allowing water to soak into the forest floor’s sponge-like soil.
• Tree roots act like pumps, absorbing nutrient pollution and storing it in their leaves and limbs.
• Forest soil contains beneficial microbes that denitrify the water.

Forest buffers can reduce nutrient and sediment pollution to local waterways by 30 to 90 percent. Without forest buffers, polluted runoff from farms and developed areas flows directly into the nearest river or stream.

Forest buffers provide food and habitat for aquatic life

Leaves and branches that fall into the water provide critical habitat for aquatic life in streams. Insects, amphibians, crustaceans and small fish rely on woody debris from riparian forests for food, shelter and spawning. These creatures may be tiny, but they are an essential part of the Bay food web because they serve as prey for larger species. Some small filter-feeders also help process excess pollution common in local waterways.

Forest buffers create important wildlife habitat

Trees, shrubs and other plants in a forest buffer create layers of diverse habitats that form a transition from the land to the water. More than half of the Bay region’s native species – ranging from wood ducks, eagles and songbirds to foxes, turtles and amphibians – depend on riparian forest habitats at some point in their lives for food, shelter and access to water.

In addition to creating permanent habitats, forest buffers offer safe migration paths for wildlife. These forest “corridors” are critical for many species.

Forest buffers shade streams

In summer, the leafy canopy of forest buffers shades rivers and streams. Shade is important because it helps keep water temperatures cool and consistent, especially in small streams. Cooler water holds more oxygen, which all species need to survive.

Without shade, water temperatures in streams can rise rapidly, leading to increased algae growth. Even slightly elevated water temperatures can stress fish and other aquatic species. For example, brook trout can only live in clear, cold freshwater streams, so they need the shade that forest buffers provide.

Forest buffers stabilize stream banks

Trees have deep root systems that hold soil in place and allow more water to soak into the ground. These functions help stabilize stream banks and reduce erosion. Forest buffers also protect against flood waters by deflecting heavy river flows during large rain storms.

How do forest buffers work?

This three-zone riparian forest model shows how an average forest buffer works.

• Undisturbed forest in zone 1 provides habitat for wildlife and aquatic life, maintains cool water temperatures and stabilizes stream banks.
• Managed forest in zone 2 removes sediment, nutrients and other pollutants from runoff and groundwater. It also provides habitat for birds, mammals and other wildlife.
• Grass in zone 3 slows runoff, traps sediment and takes up nutrients.

Why are forest buffers being restored?

Forest buffer restoration is a critical part of cleaning up the Bay. Riparian forests help improve the health of local rivers and streams, which eventually flow to the Chesapeake.

Scientists have found that rivers and streams are adequately protected when at least 70 percent of their edges are buffered by forests. Currently, an estimated 55 percent of the Bay watershed’s 288,000 miles of stream banks and shorelines have forest buffers in place. Along many waterways, forest buffers have disappeared because of human activities – particularly agriculture and development.

Restoring forest buffers is also a cost-effective way to reduce pollution. Unlike some other conservation practices, the benefits of forest buffers increase over time as trees grow and mature. After the first few years, forest buffers need very little maintenance, which can be costly for other practices.

How are forest buffers being restored?

Chesapeake Bay Program partners – including federal and state forestry and natural resource agencies, local governments and non-profit organizations – are working actively to restore and protect forest buffers throughout the Bay watershed.

Although much progress has been made, forest buffer plantings have slowed in recent years due to many factors, including lack of resources, uninformed land owners and the high price of crop commodities.

Setting and meeting forest buffer goals

Since 1996, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia have planted more than 7,200 miles of forest buffers along stream banks and shorelines.

Bay Program partners continue to work toward meeting their goal of restoring 900 miles of riparian forests across the Bay watershed each year. This goal was established in 2003 and renewed in the 2007 Forest Conservation Initiative, which Delaware, New York and West Virginia also signed.

However, the goal has not been met since 2002, when greater incentives resulted in more than 1,000 miles planted. In the future, forest buffer plantings in Delaware, New York and West Virginia will be included in the annual mileage count, which will help the Bay Program reach its goal.

The federal government is also doing its part to help accelerate progress toward restoring riparian forests. In the Chesapeake Bay Executive Order strategy, federal agencies committed to increase the amount of forest buffers along the Bay watershed’s rivers and streams to 63 percent by 2025. This translates to a rate of 900 miles per year.

Land owner incentive and education programs

Bay Program partners are involved with several innovative programs that provide financial incentives to land owners who plant forest buffers on their property. One of these is the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), which pays agricultural land owners to plant and maintain forest buffers on their properties. CREP is one of the most active water quality restoration initiatives in the Bay region because it provides greater incentives to land owners than other federal cost-share practices.

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Forest Service are working together with state forestry agencies to increase the use of CREP and plant more riparian forests. This partnership is developing tools to target forest buffer plantings in the most critical areas.

Outreach and education is also a critical part of restoring forest buffers. The U.S. Forest Service Chesapeake Bay Office publishes forest buffer publications and works with partners to reach out to land owners in person and online. The office has also added additional staff members to increase outreach and help accelerate riparian forest restoration.

Additionally, new tools are available to help target, monitor and map forest buffers throughout the Bay watershed. These tools, along with riparian forest policies at the local and state levels, will ensure that forest buffer restoration and conservation is effective.

Maintaining new forest buffers

Newly planted forest buffers must be properly maintained so plants and trees have the best chance of survival. Maintenance such as pruning and weeding helps forest buffers grow stronger, making them more resilient and better able to capture pollution. This is especially crucial during the first three to five years after planting, when trees are most vulnerable to weeds, invasive species and other threats.

• News
• Publications
• Maps

From Around the Web

• Riparian Forest Buffer Restoration: Maryland Stream ReLeaf - Maryland Department of Natural Resources
• Riparian Forest Buffers - Virginia Department of Forestry
• Pennsylvania Stream ReLeaf - Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
• The State of Chesapeake Forests - U.S. Forest Service