If you own property with a M-NCPPC held forest conservation easement in Montgomery County, and your easement is not fully forested, you can request free trees through Reforest Montgomery.

Forest conservation easements protect land for existing and future forests by restricting certain activities. A forest conservation easement is a perpetual property right granted to the Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission that runs with the title of the land. Its terms, conditions, and area (shown on a record plat or recorded by a metes and bounds description), are recorded in the County’s land records. Most commonly, the agreement prohibits removing vegetation or changing the natural character of the land without written permission from Montgomery Planning.

Forest conservation easements cover forest retention or planting areas and unforested high priority areas, all of which are identified on a forest conservation plan. To date, the county has protected over 10,500 acres – approximately 3.5 percent of the county – through more than 3,500 forest conservation easements.