Queen Anne's County, MD Landscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage Trees (2026)
Tree removal permit rules in Queen Anne's 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
- Buffer rule
- No natural vegetation removed in the Buffer, with listed exceptions
- Limited development area cap
- No more than 20% of forested area removed, replaced one to one
- Clearing before sediment permit
- Replacement at three times the area removed
- Spawning stream restriction
- No Buffer disturbance March 1 to June 15
- County road trees
- Public Works Roads Division permit to plant or remove
- Timber harvest plan trigger
- One or more acres within any one-year interval
Summary
In unincorporated Queen Anne's County, § 14:1-51 bars removing natural vegetation in the Critical Area Buffer and allows only limited cutting of individual trees for listed purposes under an approved Buffer management plan. Development clearing is capped and replaced at set ratios, and trees in County road rights-of-way need a Public Works permit.
§ 14:1-51. Buffer standards and requirements. ... B. Removal of vegetation; cutting or clearing of trees. (1) Except as provided in § 14:1-22 of this Chapter 14:1, Article X of this Part 6 of this Chapter 14:1 and § 14:1-53 of this Chapter 14:1, no natural vegetation shall be removed nor shall the slope of the land surface be altered in the Buffer. (2) Limited cutting or clearing of individual trees shall be permitted for the following purposes under an approved Buffer management plan: (a) For personal use, provided that Buffer functions are not impaired; (b) To prevent trees from falling and blocking streams, causing damage to dwellings or other structures, or resulting in accelerated erosion of the shore or streambank; (c) In conjunction with horticultural practices used to maintain the health of individual trees; (d) To provide access to private piers; (e) To install or construct an approved shore erosion protection device or measure; or (f) To protect forests from extensive pest or disease infestation or threat from fires if approved by the Department of Agriculture or the Maryland Forest Service (MFS).
Full Breakdown
Queen Anne's County has no single tree-removal permit that covers every lot. The rule depends on where the tree stands and what the work is.
In the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Buffer, which reaches shoreline land on Kent Island and elsewhere in unincorporated Queen Anne's County, § 14:1-51 B(1) bars removal of natural vegetation and alteration of the slope of the land surface, except as provided in § 14:1-22, Article X of Part 6 and § 14:1-53. Section 14:1-51 B(2) then permits limited cutting or clearing of individual trees under an approved Buffer management plan for six purposes: personal use, provided Buffer functions are not impaired; preventing trees from falling and blocking streams, damaging dwellings or other structures, or accelerating erosion of the shore or streambank; horticultural practices that maintain the health of individual trees; access to private piers; installing an approved shore erosion protection device or measure; and protecting forests from extensive pest or disease infestation or threat from fires, if approved by the Department of Agriculture or the Maryland Forest Service. Under § 14:1-51 D, no land disturbance is permitted between March 1 and June 15 in areas of the Buffer adjacent to anadromous fish spawning streams.
Larger cutting is tied to development and timber. In limited development areas, § 14:1-38 D(6)(b) caps removal at 20% of the forested or developed woodland area of a site proposed for development and requires one to one replacement. A developer can propose clearing up to 30% without a variance if the area removed is replaced at 1.5 times; removal beyond 30% needs a variance and replacement at three times. A sediment control permit is required before any clearing or cutting of trees associated with development. Under § 14:1-28 B, timber harvests affecting one or more acres within any one-year interval need a timber harvest plan prepared by a registered professional forester, and harvests of 5,000 square feet or more in the critical area need a sediment control plan.
Trees along County roads are separate. Under § 23-15 A(4), a person must obtain a permit from the Department of Public Works, Roads Division, before planting or removing a tree on a County road or within a County road right-of-way. Fees for that permit are set by Board resolution under § 23-15 C.
Violations & Fines
Cutting or clearing trees before a sediment control permit is obtained requires replacement on site at three times the area removed (§ 14:1-38 D(6)(b)[5]). Where a forest conservation plan applies, § 18:2-24 assesses $0.50 per square foot of the area in noncompliance plus a civil penalty not to exceed $1,000, with each day a separate violation, and the Department can issue a stop-work order. A violation of Chapter 14:2 is a misdemeanor with a fine up to $1,000 or up to 90 days (§ 14:2-32).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I cut a tree in the Critical Area Buffer on my Kent Island lot?
Do I need a permit to remove a tree at the edge of a County road?
What happens if I clear trees before getting a sediment control permit?
Is there a seasonal restriction near streams?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Queen Anne's County
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