Timber Harvest
Regulations
Maryland Environment Article, Title 4, Subtitle 1 requires that an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan be approved before disturbing 5000 square feet or 100 cubic yards of earth. In addition to harvesting timber, this includes the building of roads, skid trails, landing areas, and any other disturbance.
If you are planning to do a Timber Harvest, you will need to file for a Timber Harvest permit with the County at Community Planning & Development, Permit & Inspection Services, 203 S. 4th Steet, Room 208 Courthouse, Oakland, MD 21550. 301-334-7470.
The Timber Harvest permit will include an Erosion and Sediment section. You will file with the County, and they will send your plan on to our office. Once approved, it will go back to the County.
You cannot simply cut timber without the permit. There are large fines for cutting without one. Please be advised that there are certain requirements for things that must be included in your Timber Harvest Plan. If you do not understand what is needed or how to complete all the elements required, you may need to hire someone who knows how to write a Timber Harvest Plan to help you. It is your responsibility to either be educated about Timber Harvest plans enough to write your own plan or hire a professional to write it for you. Neither our office nor the County will be able to help you write your plan.
Timber Harvest Plans require several maps. These must be completed precisely and within the necessary guidelines using mapping software. For a how-to guide, created by Ivy Opel from Garrett County Government, about how to print a soil map, click on the button below. If you need to use the Soil Map tool for other things, visit our page about the Soil Survey tool.
Standard Plan
Maryland has developed a Compliance Agreement for the Standard Erosion and Sediment Control Plan for Forest Harvest Operations, commonly referred to as a Standard Plan. This plan lists general sediment control requirements and the site conditions to which the plan is applicable. If all the conditions of the Standard Plan cannot be met, it is necessary to have a plan amendment or modification prepared by a licensed forester. It is important that a request for a Standard Plan modification identify the location of the modification and the specific sediment control measures to be used. The Compliance Agreement is part of the plan that an operator/applicant signs verifying that the harvest operation will be conducted according to the conditions of the Standard Plan.
Buffer Management Plan
The Standard Plan requires that uncut buffer zones called Stream Side Zones (SMZ) be maintained on all sides of perennial or intermittent streams, rivers, drainways, and lakes. The width of the buffer is dependent upon the slope of the land adjacent to the watercourse and is based upon a formula. Contact our office for more information about this formula at chad.bucklew@usda.gov.
Limited harvesting is permitted within a buffer provided that a Buffer Management Plan is prepared by a licensed forester. The objective of the Buffer Management Plan is to ensure that an effective wooded buffer of 60 square fee/acre of basal area of evenly distributed trees, and 6 inches or greater in diameter of acceptable growth stock remains after harvest and that minimal damage occurs to the humus or litter layer within the buffer.
Non-Tidal Wetlands
The Maryland Non-Tidal Wetland Protection Act regulates forest harvest operations occurring in non-tidal wetlands. The act requires a person conducting forest harvest activities in non-tidal wetlands to implement Best Management Practices (BMP) to protect the wetlands. The Best Management Practices must be incorporated into the erosion and sediment control plan prepared for the harvest operation, and submitted to the Conservation District for approval if wetlands are present. This is accomplished by including a Wetland BMP Checklist with the sediment control plan that identifies the specific measures that will be implemented or followed to protect the wetlands.
The Non-Tidal Wetland Regulations require that a wetland delineation be provided to the Conservation District for verification as part of the erosion and sediment review and approval process. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the delineation to be verified by the Conservation District. In determining the presence of non-tidal wetlands, it may be beneficial to consult the county soil survey for the occurrence of hydric soils and hydric soils with inclusions. Also, Wetlands of Special State Concern maps are available for viewing at the Conservation District office.
