The Maryland Carbon Markets and Trees Commission
Main_Content
The Maryland Commission for the Innovation and Advancement of Carbon Markets and Sustainable Tree Plantings was established by the Maryland General Assembly as part of the Tree Solutions Now Act of 2021 (HB 991). As its charge, the Commission shall develop
- a plan to achieve the state’s carbon mitigation goal of planting five million native trees by 2030;
- a plan to ensure that trees planted under this Act are properly maintained;
- recommendations regarding the establishment of a Maryland–based carbon offset market to support the state’s tree-planting goals; and
- recommendations on reviewing state policies to reduce
and fully mitigate the clearing of trees during the construction of state highways and other transportation projects.
In addition to supporting the Commission, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), with support from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), and the Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT), is coordinating the tracking and implementation of this tree planting goal.
Planting in underserved urban communities will be a key focus. The state also is working to optimize plantings to realize multiple co-benefits including carbon sequestration, improved air and water quality, and reducing urban heat island effects. This work supports the state's ambitious climate mitigation goals, where the 2030 Greenhouse Gas Reduction Act Plan (GGRA) lays out a pathway for achieving a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 relative to a 2006 baseline. These efforts also build on Maryland state government's leadership in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and the U.S. Climate Alliance, as well as ongoing restoration work through the federal Chesapeake Bay Program.
Contact: Dr. Rachel Lamb, Maryland Department of the Environment, rachel.lamb@maryland.gov
Meeting Materials:
“Maryland’s 5 Million Trees initiative is working to ensure communities across Maryland, including underserved urban communities, have the resources they need to help us have cleaner, greener, and safer communities. Planting trees provides the added benefit of helping to reach Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay restoration and climate goals," said Secretary McIlwain. “Trees capture carbon to help us reach our climate goals, reduce flooding, improve the quality of our air and water, and reduce heat islands."
![]()
This site was created and is maintained by Susan.Casey1@maryland.gov, Maryland Department of the Environment.
