PARRIS N. GLENDENING, Governor

Ch. 559

(3) Trees, shrubs, or plants identified on the list of rare, threatened, and
endangered species of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the Department;

(4) Trees that are part of a historic site or associated with a historic
structure or designated by the Department or local authority as a national, State, or local
Champion Tree; and

(5) Trees having a diameter measured at 4.5 feet above the ground of:

(i) 30 inches; or

(ii) 75% of the diameter, measured at 4.5 feet above the ground, of the
current State Champion Tree of that species as designated by the Department.

(d) The following shall be considered priority for afforestation or reforestation:

(1) Establish or enhance forest buffers adjacent to intermittent and
perennial streams AND COASTAL BAYS to widths of at least 50 feet;

(2) Establish or increase existing forested corridors to connect existing
forests within or adjacent to the site and, where practical, forested corridors should be a
minimum of 300 feet in width to facilitate wildlife movement;

(3) Establish or enhance forest buffers adjacent to critical habitats where
appropriate;

(4) ESTABLISH OR ENHANCE FORESTED AREAS IN 100-YEAR
FLOODPLAINS;

(5) Establish plantings to stabilize slopes of 25% or greater and slopes of
15% or greater with a soil K value greater than 0.35 including the slopes of ravines or
other natural depressions;

[(5)] (6) Establish buffers adjacent to areas of differing land use where
appropriate, or adjacent to highways or utility right-of-ways;

[(6)] (7) Establish forest areas adjacent to existing forests so as to increase
the overall area of contiguous forest cover, when appropriate; and

[(7)] (8) Use native plant materials for afforestation or reforestation, when
appropriate.

(e) (1) As part of the development of a forest conservation program, a local
government shall develop provisions for:

(i) Preservation of areas described in subsections (c) and (d)(1) and
(3) of this section;

(ii) Retention as forest of all land forested, afforested, or reforested
under this subtitle; and

(iii) Limitation of uses of forest to those that are not inconsistent with
forest conservation, such as recreational activities and forest management under
subsection (f) of this section.

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