Conservation Buffer Initiative
Conservation Buffer Initiative supports Maryland farmers and landowners in establishing or improving farm buffers to protect local streams, improve water quality, and support Chesapeake Bay health.
This grant was recently updated
Applications for the 2026–2027 Conservation Buffer Initiative open November 1, 2026, with an April 30, 2027 deadline, replacing the closed 2025–2026 round and its April 30, 2026 deadline. Contact your local soil conservation district to apply.
Funder: Maryland Department of Agriculture
Due Dates: November 1, 2026 (Applications open) | April 30, 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $500–$4,500 per acre, plus forest-buffer incentives; 5- or 10-year contracts
Summary: Incentive payments help Maryland farmers and landowners establish or improve farm buffers to protect local streams and the Chesapeake Bay.
Key Information: Land actively enrolled in other state or federal conservation programs, or buffers mandated by easements, is ineligible.
Description
The Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Buffer Initiative provides farmers and landowners with incentive payments to establish or improve streamside buffers on farmland. Part of Maryland’s Ecosystem Incentives Program, it supports grass buffers, forest buffers, and watercourse access control areas adjacent to livestock pastures. Its goal is to improve local water quality and the health of the Chesapeake Bay while helping farms put marginal land beside streams and floodplains to conservation use.
The initiative complements the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), offering a field-ditch buffer option, flexible site management, and shorter contract terms. Local soil conservation districts provide free technical assistance to help participants install buffers. Additional tree-planting and maintenance incentives encourage riparian forest buffers.
