Conservation Buffer Initiative
Forecasted
Conservation Buffer Initiative supports Maryland farmers and landowners in establishing or improving farmland buffers to protect local streams, improve water quality, and support Chesapeake Bay health.
Funder: Maryland Department of Agriculture
Due Dates (Anticipated): April 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
Maryland’s Conservation Buffer Initiative, administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture, offers farmers and landowners incentive payments to establish or improve buffers on farmland. It supports grass buffers along waterways or field ditches, forest buffers along waterways, and watercourse access control areas adjacent to active livestock pastures. The goal is to improve local water quality and the health of the Chesapeake Bay while turning marginal land near streams or floodplains into a conservation asset.
The initiative is part of Maryland’s Ecosystem Incentives Program, which promotes clean water, healthy soil, and climate solutions. It complements the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), offering options not available through CREP, including field-ditch buffers, flexible site management, and shorter contracts. Local soil conservation districts provide free technical assistance with buffer installation.
