HB 1560

Did not advance

Forest Conservation - Incentives - Pilot Program and Fund

Sponsor: Dylan Behler (District 30A)Committee: Environment and TransportationSubject: Natural Resources - GenerallyStatus: Hearing 3/11 at 1:00 p.m. (Environment and Transportation) (as of Sep 4, 2026)

What this bill does

Official synopsis

Requiring the Department of Natural Resources to establish and implement a pilot program for ecosystem value-oriented forest management plans to provide additional incentives for enrolling in and extending commitments to forest conservation and management; establishing the Forest Ecosystem Value Incentives Fund as a special, nonlapsing fund to finance the pilot program; and requiring the Governor to include in the annual budget bill an appropriation of $10,000,000 to the Fund in fiscal year 2028.

AI analysis is off. Set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY to enable summaries, pros and cons, and questions.

Analysis reads the bill text, the fiscal note, and the witness list. It is generated by Claude and reviewed by nobody, so check the source documents before you rely on it.

Testimony (21)

MGA witness list

FAV 8FavorableFWA 1Favorable with amendmentsUNF 8UnfavorableINFO 4Information only

Position	Witness	Organization	Testimony
FAV	Brown, Jim	Audubon Mid-Atlantic	Written (PDF)
FAV	Colden, Allisonlobbyist	Chesapeake Bay Foundation	Written (PDF)
FAV	Bardsley Jr, James S	Landowner	Oral
FAV	allen, gary	Maryland Forestry Foundation	Oral + Written (PDF)
FAV	Delegate Behler, Delegate Behlerlegislator	Individual	Oral
FAV	England, Brian	Individual	Position only
FAV	Kaiser, Mary	Individual	Written (PDF)
FAV	Mauer, William	Individual	Position only
UNF	Demiray, Sonia	Climate Communications Coalition	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Philips, Dana	Department of Budget and Management	Written (PDF)
UNF	Butchko, Dominic	Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)	Oral + Written (PDF)
UNF	Graf, Lorilobbyist	Maryland Building Industry Association	Written (PDF)
UNF	Ballentine, Tom	NAIOP Maryland	Written (PDF)
UNF	Arndt, Dave	Individual	Position only
UNF	Edey, Marion	Individual	Written (PDF)
UNF	Green, Kayla	Individual	Written (PDF)
FWA	Leager, Kaleigh	Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation	Written (PDF)
INFO	Baucum Colbert, Jordan	M-NCPPC - Senior Government Analyst	Written (PDF)
INFO	McPherson, Lydia	Maryland Department of Natural Resources	Written (PDF)
INFO	Hinson, Joe	Maryland Forests	Written (PDF)
INFO	Fitzgerald, Garrett	Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection	Written (PDF)

Organizations on record

Audubon Mid-AtlanticFAV 1

Chesapeake Bay FoundationFAV 1

Climate Communications CoalitionUNF 1

Congressional Sportsmen's FoundationFWA 1

Department of Budget and ManagementUNF 1

LandownerFAV 1

M-NCPPC - Senior Government AnalystINFO 1

Maryland Association of Counties (MACo)UNF 1

Maryland Building Industry AssociationUNF 1

Maryland Department of Natural ResourcesINFO 1

Maryland Forestry FoundationFAV 1

Maryland ForestsINFO 1

Montgomery County Department of Environmental ProtectionINFO 1

NAIOP MarylandUNF 1

Registered lobbyists who testified

FAVColden, AllisonChesapeake Bay FoundationRegistered for: Chesapeake Bay Foundation

UNFGraf, LoriMaryland Building Industry AssociationRegistered for: Maryland Building Industry Association