Who We Are How We're Organized Forestry Workgroup

Forestry Workgroup

Upcoming Meetings

July 6, 2022
9:00 am - 11:00 am

Forestry Workgroup Meeting, July 6, 2022

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August 3, 2022
9:00 am - 11:00 am

Forestry Workgroup Meeting, August 3, 2022

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September 7, 2022
9:00 am - 11:00 am

Forestry Workgroup Meeting, September 7, 2022

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View Meeting Calendar >> << View Past Meetings

Scope and Purpose

The Forestry Workgroup coordinates, develops and implements plans and projects which focus on the contributions of forest lands in restoring the health and productivity of the Chesapeake Bay watershed and in retaining their economic potential. The workgroup provides a forum to discuss issues and identify opportunities among the forestry community, interested individuals and organizations, and federal, state and local governments.

Objectives:

  • Enhance communication and education regarding forestry issues within the Bay watershed.
  • Identify the need and opportunities for demonstration projects and program development.
  • Promote the establishment and management of forests and trees in urban, rural, and developing areas to improve water quality, and aquatic and terrestrial habitats associated with the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.
  • Promote forestry research and monitoring needed to evaluate forestcontributions toward protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay.
  • Ensure that forest resource information pertinent to the Chesapeake Bay is available to individuals and organizations interested and/or involved in implementing the Chesapeake Bay Program.

The Forestry Workgroup also is pursuing the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement goal and outcomes to:

Vital Habitats Goal: Restore, enhance and protect a network of land and water habitats to support fish and wildlife and to afford other public benefits, including water quality, recreational uses and scenic value across the watershed. 

  • Forest Buffer Outcome: Continually increase the capacity of forest buffers to provide water quality and habitat benefits throughout the watershed.  Restore 900 miles per year of riparian forest buffer and conserve existing buffers until at least 70 percent of riparian areas throughout the watershed are forested.
  • Tree Canopy Outcome: Continually increase urban tree canopy capacity to provide air quality, water quality and habitat benefits throughout the watershed.  Expand urban tree canopy by 2,400 acres by 2025.

Projects and Resources

Phase 7 Model Development

Currently in development, the Phase 7 Modeling Tools will be used by the partnership to inform decisions related to nutrient and sediment reduction goals outlined in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement.  Evolving plans and related documents can be found on this site:

https://www.chesapeakebay.net/what/programs/modeling/phase_7_model_development

Chesapeake Forest Restoration Strategy

The Forestry Workgroup revised and updated the original Chesapeake Forest Restoration Strategy in 2020.  The Strategy lays out broad priorities and actions that will guide forestry partnership efforts in the years ahead and was the basis for a Shared Stewardship agreement signed in October 2020 by all of the watershed’s seven state foresters and the Chief of the US Forest Service. 

  • Chesapeake Forest Restoration Strategy (3.51 MB)
  • Signed Stewardship Agreement (572.79 KB)

Natural Filters Restoration Program: Concept For the Chesapeake

Watch the recorded webinar on this proposed program, and view the presentation below. 

  • Natural Filters Program Presentation (2.4 MB)

Buffers in the Farm Bill: What does CLEAR 30 mean for the Bay?

Webinar on CLEAR 30 with experts Terry Noto and Mike Linisinbigler. A new provision in the 2018 Farm Bill, CLEAR 30 is now open and the Chesapeake is a pilot region.  Expiring buffers can be enrolled in CLEAR 30 – it is a 30 year contract and maintenance is paid for. Watch the recording here. 

Forest Financing February

The Forestry Workgroup at the Chesapeake Bay Program hosted a webinar mini-series called Financing Forests February on emerging finance markets for restoration and conservation on (primarily) private forest lands.

You can view the recordings for each webinar below. 

 

February 7, 11-noon.  Conservation Finance 101.  Tim Male, Executive Director, Environmental Policy Innovation Center - This presentation will provide an introduction to conservation finance and why we need it. Watch the recording here. 

February 14, 11-noon.  Credit to Reforestation for Water Quality Benefits.  Jessica Fox, Senior Technical Executive, Electric Power Research Institute - Reforestation is credited for water quality benefits in the Ohio River Basin.  This presentation will explain how and why. Watch the recording here. 

February 21, 11-noon. An Overview of Creative Ways to Fund the Acquisition and Restoration of Forests.  Reggie Hall, The Conservation Fund- Learn from examples of how various financing mechanisms have been used to conserve and restore forests across the country. What have others done that you can use in your own region? Watch the recording here. 

February 28, 11-noon.  How Carbon Credits are Working for Forests in the Mid-Atlantic.  Dylan Jenkins, VP, Portfolio Development, FiniteCarbon.  This presentation will introduce listeners to current forest carbon markets relevant to the mid-Atlantic. Recording is unavailable, view the presentation below. 

  • Forest Carbon Offsets: Status and Opportunity (2.27 MB)

CREP Webinar Series

Three webinars about CREP in the 2018 Farm Bill were sponsored by the Forestry Workgroup.  These Webinars featured two experts Terry Noto and Mike Linsinbigler. 

Terry Schley Noto an environmental attorney who has worked for a variety of government agencies, including EPA and DOJ as well as for several environmental organizations, including NWF and EDF. Terry served as EDF’s expert on CRP and CREP for many years. Mike Linsenbigler worked for USDA for over 30 years. First in the former Soil Conservation Service and then working for FSA Conservation Environmental Programs Division as the nation’s first CREP Manager and later, as the Deputy Division Director of CEPD.Terry and Mike formed Conservation Strategies Consulting to provide advice on conservation program innovation and implementation and have an array of agency and NGO clients.

Introduction and Discussion regarding CREP in the Farm Bill - August 28, 2019 Webinar 
Introduction and Discussion of Draft Interim CREP Rules - December 12, 2019 Webinar 
Summary and Compilation of Rules and Notices that were Issued Regarding CREP (slide deck only, recording not available) 

  • CREP in the Farm Bill (399.31 KB)
  • Draft Interim CREP Rules (456.32 KB)
  • Summary of Rules and Notices (373.76 KB)

Guidance for Forestry Practices in Phase III WIPs

  • Forestry BMP Guide for WIP III (2.99 MB)
  • Riparian Forest Buffer Principles for WIP III (148.58 KB)
  • Tree Canopy Principles for WIP III (138.17 KB)

Guiding Documents

Updated Tree Canopy and Riparian Forest Buffer Workplans and Management Strategies.

  • RFB Management Strategy Version2 (898.14 KB)
  • RFB 2018-19 Workplan (148.73 KB)

Strategy Review System Materials

  • RFB Questionnaire (602.06 KB)
  • RFB Logic Table: 2016-2017 Workplan Progress (54.96 KB)
  • RFB Presentation (3.89 MB)
  • TC Questionnaire (219.49 KB)
  • TC Presentation (1.33 MB)
  • Tree Canopy Logic and Action Table (255.5 KB)
  • Tree Canopy Management Strategy (810.24 KB)

Forest Buffer Indicator Data (through 2017)

  • RFB Indicator Analysis and Methods 2017 (196.7 KB)
  • 2017 RFB Indicator Data (93.5 KB) xls
View All >>

Publications

  • May 01, 2018

    Chesapeake Bay Program Forestry Workgroup's BMP Verification Guidance

    This section describes guidance on how to verify the existence and performance of forestry BMPs in the Bay watershed.  It has been revised since the 2014 version to incorporate comments and also to reflect the...

  • A Guide for Forestry Practices in the Chesapeake TMDL Phase III WIPs

    The Forestry Workgroup created “A Guide for Forestry Practices in Chesapeake TMDL” to help localities, conservation agencies, community groups, states, and others planning and implementing best management practices (BMPs)...

  • January 01, 2018

    Riparian Forest Buffer Management Strategy

    This management strategy identifies approaches for achieving the following outcome: Continually increase the capacity of forest buffers to provide water quality and habitat benefits throughout the watershed.  Restore 900...

View All >>
  • Watershed Agreement

    • Vital Habitats Goal

      • Forest Buffers
      • Tree Canopy
  • Members

    • Rebecca Hanmer (Chair), Retired

      Address:
      138 Caroline Street
      Fredericksburg Virginia 22401

      • Email: rwhanmer@yahoo.com
      • Phone: (540) 371-8787
      • Download VCard
    • Sally Claggett (Coordinator), U.S. Forest Service (USFS)


      Program Coordinator

      Address:
      1750 Forest Drive Suite 130
      Suite 209
      Annapolis Maryland 21401

      • Email: sclaggett@fs.fed.us
      • Phone: (410) 267-5706
      • Download VCard
    • Sophia Waterman (Staffer), Chesapeake Research Consortium


      Environmental Management Staffer

      Address:
      1750 Forrest Drive, Suite 130
      Annapolis Maryland 21401

      • Email: swaterman@chesapeakebay.net
      • Download VCard
    • Iris Allen, Maryland Department of Natural Resources

      Address:
      Maryland Department of Natural Resources 580 Taylor Avenue
      Tawes State Office Building
      Annapolis Maryland 21401

      • Email: iris.allen@maryland.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Kesha Braunskill, Delaware Forest Service

      Address:
      2320 South DuPont Highway
      Dover Delaware 19901

      • Email: kesha.braunskill@state.de.us
      • Download VCard
    • Lydia Brinkley, Upper Susquehanna Coalition

      Address:
      183 Corporate Dr
      Owego New York 13827

      • Email: lbrinkley@u-s-c.org
      • Download VCard
    • Katie Brownson, U.S. Forest Service (USFS)


      Watershed Specialist, U.S. Forest Service

      Address:
      1750 Forest Drive Suite 130
      Annapolis Maryland 21401

      • Email: Katherine.Brownson@usda.gov
      • Download VCard
    • William Byrum, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

      Address:
      2901 E. Gate City Blvd.
      Suite 2100
      Greensboro North Carolina 27401

      • Email: william.byrum@usda.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Robert Corletta, District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)

      Address:
      1200 First St NE
      Washington District of Columbia 20002

      • Email: robert.corletta@dc.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Anne Hairston-Strang, Maryland Department of Natural Resources

      Address:
      580 Taylor Avenue
      Annapolis Maryland 21401

      • Email: anne.hairston-strang@maryland.gov
      • Phone: (410) 260-8509
      • Download VCard
    • Craig Highfield, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay


      Forestry for the Bay Program Manager

      Address:
      1750 Forest Drive Suite 130
      Annapolis Maryland 21401

      • Email: chighfield@allianceforthebay.org
      • Phone: (410) 267-5723
      • Download VCard
    • Matthew Keefer, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

      Address:
      P.O. Box 8767
      Harrisburg Pennsylvania 17105

      • Email: makeefer@pa.gov
      • Phone: (717) 214-3814
      • Download VCard
    • Terrance Lasher, Virginia Department of Forestry

      Address:
      Virginia Department of Forestry 900 Natural Resources Drive
      Suite 800
      Charlottesville Virginia 22903

      • Email: terry.lasher@dof.virginia.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Julie Mawhorter, U.S. Forest Service (USFS)


      Mid-Atlantic Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator

      Address:
      151 Grey Towers Dr.
      Milford Pennsylvania 18337

      • Email: julie.mawhorter@usda.gov
      • Phone: (570) 296-9626
      • Download VCard
    • Jeremy McGill, West Virginia Division of Forestry

      Address:
      61 5th Street
      Building 1 Suite 201
      Buckhannon West Virginia 26201

      • Email: Jeremy.R.McGill@wv.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Judy Okay, Virginia Department of Agriculture & Forestry

      Address:
      tbd
      tbd Virginia tbd

      • Email: judyannokay@gmail.com
      • Download VCard
    • Frank Rodgers, Cacapon Institute


      Executive Director

      Address:
      Cacapon Institute
      10 Rock Ford Rd
      Great Cacapon West Virginia 25422

      • Email: frodgers@cacaponinstitute.org
      • Download VCard
    • Rosalie Santerre, West Virginia Division of Forestry

      Address:
      PO Box 245
      Franklin West Virginia 26807

      • Email: rosalie.santerre@wv.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Lauren Townley, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

      Address:
      625 Broadway
      Albany New York 12233

      • Email: lauren.townley@dec.ny.gov
      • Phone: (518) 402-8283
      • Download VCard
    • Caitlin Verdu, Virginia Department of Forestry

      Address:
      Virginia Department of Forestry 900 Natural Resources Drive
      Suite 800
      Charlottesville Virginia 22903

      • Email: caitlin.verdu@dof.virginia.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Patti Webb, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

      Address:
      Richardson & Robbins Building
      89 Kings Hwy SW
      Dover Delaware 19901

      • Email: Patti.Webb@delaware.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Jim Woodworth, District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)

      Address:
      1200 First St NE
      Washington District of Columbia 20002

      • Email: james.woodworth@dc.gov
      • Download VCard

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The Chesapeake Bay Program is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983.

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Annapolis, MD 21401

Tel: (800) YOUR-BAY (968-7229)
Fax: (410) 267-5777

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