Forestry Workgroup Publications

Guidance on how to verify the existence and performance of forestry best management practices in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

A guide designed to help state and local governments, conservation agencies, community groups and others plan and implement best management practices as part of the Watershed Implementation Plan process.

View document [PDF, 3.1 MB] WIP Forestry BMP Packet

Approaches for achieving the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement's Forest Buffer Outcome.

View document [PDF, 919.7 KB] Riparian Forest Buffer Management Strategy

Recommendations from an expert panel for the Urban Tree Canopy Expansion best management practice, as well as for an Urban Forest Planting BMP.

View document [PDF, 4.2 MB] Urban Tree Canopy BMP Expert Panel Recommendations

Approaches for achieving the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement's Tree Canopy Outcome.

View document [PDF, 1.1 MB] Urban Tree Canopy Management Strategy

A joint publication of the U.S. Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

View document [PDF, 25.6 MB] Chesapeake Working Lands Conservation Strategy

A report on the progress and challenges of restoring riparian forest buffers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

View document [PDF, 1.5 MB] Forest Buffer Status Paper

View document [PDF, 1.3 MB] Recommendations of the Expert Panel for Riparian Forest and Grass Buffers Best Management Practices

The use of demonstration sites for riparian forest buffer establishment is one way to help accomplish the objectives of communication, education, and monitoring. The riparian forest buffers in this document are located in agricultural, rural, and urban settings. An effort was made to locate restoration efforts in all three of these settings thereby showing the buffer's applicability in different land uses.

View document [PDF, 6.7 MB] Restoring a Bay Resource - Riparian Forest Buffer Demonstration Sites

This report reviews the most current data on the status and trends of forests in the states of the Chesapeake watershed. The report begins with an historical perspective of land use changes in the basin from the time of European settlement to today. It then proceeds with the status of the forests in the Bay watershed in 1996 and trends of forest changes from the mid 1970's to early 1990's. This information is examined in light of its importance to them Bay. Fianally, we present recommendations for an effective forest conservation program for the Chesapeake Bay region.

View document [PDF, 2.7 MB] Conserving the Forests of the Chesapeake: The Status, Trends, and Importance of Forests for the Bay