Maryland Forest Resource Ordinance Act - Funding

            The “Maryland Forest Resource Ordinance Act of 1991” was a unique piece of legislation designed to create or preserve forested land in the state of Maryland .  Essentially the law required land developers to preserve and set-aside a percentage of forested land on any property they planned to develop, place an easement on that land and protect it from future development.

            In a situation where that was not possible, one of a developer’s options was to purchase a Forest Resource Ordinance (FRO) easement on forested land, which belonged to someone else.  Maryland Counties approved and registered FRO areas and kept track of forest easements transferred to developers by each registered FRO landowner.

            Tree-Land Foundation’s land in Myersville is a registered FRO area.  Over the years, developers have purchased easement rights to its existing or newly-forested areas.  The derived funding has gone to support the Foundation’s activities and expenses.

It is important to note that no land or property changes hands with an easement transfer, leaving the land available for environmental projects and recreational use.  The Chairman of the Board of The Conservation Fund, Patrick Noonan, once praised the Tree-Land Foundation for creating the unique concept of using developers’ money to fund land preservation through sales of forest easements.

Tree-Land Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and accepts donations and contributions.  Tree-Land is MOST grateful to the wonderful people and organizations who have supported it with their generous financial gifts.

                    Our Philosophy - R. Martin

                                "If you want to touch the past... touch a stone.

                                   If you want to touch the present... touch a tree.

                                            If you want to touch the future... touch a child."

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© 2003 Tree-Land Foundation, Inc.

    Email:  BobMartin@TreeLandFoundation.org     Tel.:  ( 301) 471- 9998     P. O. Box 535 , Myersville, MD 21773 USA  

WITH GREAT APPRECIATION:  This website was designed and created for Tree-Land Foundation by the delightful Beatriz Wallace, an intelligent, very talented and lovely woman who's a student at Amherst College, Amherst, Mass.  Thank you, Bea!

                                                                                                                                                                             Last modified: August 05, 2005