Anne Arundel County, MD Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Anne Arundel County, MD, sometimes called heritage tree, protected tree, or street tree ordinances, list which trees require a permit before you can cut them down.
Key Facts
- Below-threshold ratio
- 2 acres per acre cleared
- Above-threshold ratio
- 0.5 acre per acre cleared
- Violation penalty
- replant 2x area cleared
- Alternative to planting
- pay into Forest Conservation Fund
- Administered by
- Office of Planning and Zoning
Summary
Anne Arundel County requires developers who clear forest below the county's conservation threshold to replant at up to two acres for every acre removed, under the Article 17 forest conservation program administered by the Office of Planning and Zoning.
Retention below the threshold. If existing forest cover is cut or cleared and remaining forest cover is below the forest conservation threshold, the site shall be reforested at a ratio of two acres planted for each acre of forest cover cut or cleared below the forest conservation threshold and one-half acre planted for each remaining acre of forest cover cut or cleared above the forest conservation threshold.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-93: County Code is current through May, 2026).
Full Breakdown
When a development or subdivision project clears more forest than the site's conservation threshold allows, Anne Arundel County Code § 17-6-306 sets the replanting ratio: two acres of new forest for every acre cut below the threshold, or one-half acre for every acre cut while the site stays above it. A developer files a forest conservation plan with the Office of Planning and Zoning before clearing, and can meet the requirement through afforestation, reforestation, forest mitigation bank credits, or, if the Office finds replanting infeasible, a payment into the County's Forest Conservation Fund. The rule governs development sites, not routine removal of a single tree on an already-built residential lot.
Violations & Fines
Clearing forest without an approved plan violates § 17-6-309: at minimum, replant at twice the area cleared with trees and vegetative cover approved by the Office of Planning and Zoning, or pay into the Forest Conservation Fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply if I cut down a single tree in my yard?
What happens if a developer clears forest without an approved plan?
Can a developer pay a fee instead of planting trees?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anne Arundel County
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