Trees, grasses and other plants that line the banks of waterways are called forest buffers. This vegetation provides habitat for wildlife, stabilizes stream banks from erosion and keeps river waters cool, an important factor for many fish. Well-maintained forest buffers also naturally absorb pollution, helping to improve water quality in neighboring streams and rivers as well as downstream. Work is ongoing to plant buffers along thousands of miles of streams, creeks and rivers in the Bay watershed.
Learn more about restoring forest buffers.
Bay Program partners achieved their original 2010 buffer restoration goal of 2,010 miles in 2002, well ahead of schedule. In 2003, they set a new, long-term goal to conserve and restore forests along at least 70 percent of all streams and shoreline in the watershed, with a near-term goal of at least 10,000 miles in the watershed portions of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia by 2010.
Amount completed since 1996 (baseline year)
6,172 miles
Amount completed since 2000
5,716 miles
Amount completed in 2008
Between September 2007 and August 2008, 449 miles of riparian forest buffers were reported being planted in the Bay watershed. The state-by-state breakdown was:
- Maryland: 17.6 miles
- Pennsylvania: 355 miles
- Virginia: 76.7 miles
These numbers reflect a slight increase in forest buffer planting from 2006-07. Pennsylvania and Virginia both had increases in implementation, while Maryland had a slight reduction. The estimated 2008 level of implementation was met, but Bay Program partners will still fall short of achieving the 10,000-mile goal by 2010.
Reasons for the continuing slow progress in planting forest buffers can be attributed to:
- The delayed action in approval of the new Farm Bill.
- A shortage of technical assistants, which will continue to be an issue due to state governments laying off agency personnel to make up budget shortfalls.
- Uninformed and/or resistant landowners.
In this indicator, stream bank and shoreline miles include those buffered by at least a 35-foot-wide area of vegetation in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
To improve water quality, the Bay watershed states call for the restoration of some 50,000 miles of riparian forest buffers in their tributary cleanup plans. Progress toward this water quality goal is measured in part in the Pollution Control Efforts indicators.
Directive to Protect Chesapeake Forests
In 2006, Bay Program partners produced a report entitled The State of Chesapeake Forests, which was the impetus for an Executive Council directive, Protecting the Forests of the Chesapeake Watershed. The directive seeks to protect riparian forest buffers and other forests important to water quality.
Judy Okay at (800) 968-7229 ext. 311
Chesapeake Bay Program Office