Sec. 25-121. Woodland and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Requirements
Codified through Bill No. CB-018-2026, adopted May 12, 2026, effective July 24, 2026. Source: Municode, Supplement 2026 Update 2. Editorial notes and legislative history omitted.
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 25-121 (2026)
Sec. 25-121. Woodland and Wildlife Habitat Conservation RequirementsLinkCopy Citation
(a)
General.
(1)
A TCP is required for all DRD applications and grading permits that are subject to this Division unless exempted per Section 25-119. The TCP shall be at the same scale as the plans in the associated application and shall contain all information required to clearly demonstrate that the provisions of this Division are being met. The Technical Manual provides guidance on the information required on all TCPs. Additional information or data deemed necessary for review of the proposed woodland conservation areas may also be required. All calculations shall be made to the nearest one-hundredth of an acre.
(2)
Plans shall be prepared for the entire legal boundaries of all subject lots and/or parcels unless the project is a linear project. For linear projects, refer to Section 25-119 for the requirements.
(3)
Conditions of approval of TCPs may be included in Planning Board, Zoning Hearing Examiner, District Council Resolutions, or Planning Director approvals to ensure compliance with this Division and any provisions of a specific TCP.
(4)
The first TCP approved for a subject property shall set the requirements for that property. All subsequent TCPs shall address the requirements of the initial approval and any additional requirements of the new associated plan or application unless the previous approvals expire.
(5)
Each TCP shall conform to the Countywide Green Infrastructure Plan and subsequent area master plan or sector plan revisions, including maps and text, unless the Planning Board finds that events have occurred to render the relevant plan recommendations no longer appropriate or, in the case of area master plans or sector plans, the District Council has not imposed the recommended zoning.
(6)
To be counted as woodland to meet the requirements, wooded areas must meet the definition of "woodlands" in Section 25-118 of this Division.
(7)
The design criteria contained in Section 25-122 of this Division shall be addressed on all TCPs.
(8)
Wildlife habitat shall be considered for preservation and maintained and restored wherever possible. Emphasis shall be placed on connectivity of natural or reforested areas.
(9)
Native plants shall be used for all required plantings.
(10)
Invasive non-native vegetation shall be evaluated for management and for potential credit per Section 25-122(d)(5) toward meeting the requirements of this Division when identified in the review of an FSD or NRI.
(b)
Woodland and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Priority Areas
(1)
Locational priorities for consideration as woodland conservation are as follows:
(A)
Regulated streams and their buffers
(B)
Green infrastructure network elements designated in the Countywide Green Infrastructure Plan and any subsequent updates, or within the designated green infrastructure networks in master or sector plans.
(C)
Critical habitat areas.
(D)
Contiguous wooded areas with: high structural and species diversity; few nonnative and invasive species present; very good overall stand health; and high potential to provide a significant amount of habitat for forest interior dwelling plant, animal, and bird species.
(E)
Champion trees designated by the United States, the State of Maryland, the County or municipalities.
(F)
Specimen trees.
(G)
Forest Legacy Areas as defined by the state.
(H)
Historic trees and trees that are within the environmental setting of a historic site or associated with a historic resource.
(I)
Areas adjacent to Primary Management Areas that are not within the green infrastructure network
(J)
100-year floodplains
(K)
Wetlands and their buffers
(L)
Steep and severe slopes
(M)
Hydric soils associated with wetlands and highly erodible soils on slopes 15 percent and greater
(N)
Forest Interior Dwelling Species (FIDS) habitat
(O)
Tier II and Tier III Watersheds as identified by the State of Maryland Department of the Environment
(P)
Forest in urban areas as delineated by the State of Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland State Forest Conservation Technical Manual
(c)
Woodland Conservation Requirements
(1)
Properties that are subject to this Division shall comply with the woodland conservation and afforestation threshold requirements established in Table 1. The threshold establishes the minimum acreage requirement of woodland conservation for a site (other calculations must be performed to determine the total amount of woodland conservation required) and is calculated as a percentage of the net tract area of the site.
(A)
The threshold acreage is calculated by taking the gross tract area and subtracting the 100-year floodplain, and any previously dedicated land to determine the net tract area, and then multiplying the net tract area by the threshold percentage. Refer to the Technical Manual for more information and the worksheets required to perform these calculations. If a property contains more than one Zone, the threshold is calculated based on the proportion of the total acreage in each Zone and is applied to the entire site.
(B)
Except as provided in (C) of this section, the replacement requirement is determined as:
(i)
The area of forest removed shall be replaced as described in Table 2 based on its zoning
(ii)
All existing forest cover located in a transit-oriented center, measured to the nearest 1/100 acre cleared on the net tract area, the area of forest removed shall be replaced at a ratio of ¼ acre (0.25 acre) planted for every one acre removed or conservation of forest at a ratio of ½ acre (0.50 acre) conserved for every one acre removed.
(C)
After meeting the requirements in this section, all remaining unforested riparian buffers on-site shall be afforested and reforested unless the applicant demonstrates that planting in the riparian buffer:
(i)
Would be in conflict with allowable uses as established for the riparian buffer in Subtitle 32 and the Technical Manual;
(ii)
Is located on public park property and conflicts with the mission and established stewardship practices of the park; or
(iii)
Is not suitable for the establishment and retention of the required planting material, in which case substitute environmental protection measures as defined by the State of Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland State Forest Conservation Technical Manual may be implemented.
(2)
A property that is subject to this Division shall comply with the woodland conservation and afforestation threshold calculated as follows in Table 1 based on its zoning.
(3)
The woodland conservation and afforestation threshold requirements shall be met on-site or the applicant shall submit a statement of justification and plan demonstrating that the threshold has been met onsite to the maximum extent practicable.
| Table 1. Woodland Conservation and Afforestation Thresholds Requirements | ||
| Zone Including and after April 1, 2022 | Woodland Conservation Requirements | |
| Woodland Conservation Threshold* | Afforestation Threshold* | |
| ROS, AG, AR | 50% | 20% |
| RE | 25% | 20% |
| RR, RSF-95, RSF-65, RSF-A, RMF-12, RMF-20, RMF-48, RMH, R-PD | 20% | 15% |
| CGO, CS, IH, IE, IE-PD, CN, NAC, TAC, LTO, RTO-L, RTO-H, NAC-PD, TAC-PD, LTO-PD, RTO-PD, MU-PD | 15% | 15% |
| Transit-Oriented Center Base Zones: LTO, RTO-L, RTO-H, NAC Transit-Oriented Centers Planned Development Zones: NAC-PD, LTO-PD, RTO-PD | 15% | 15% |
| LCD, LMXC, LMUTC | Thresholds shall remain the same as conditioned with a Basic Plan or as shown on a TCP approved with a Conceptual Design Plan, Specific Design Plan, Conceptual Site Plan, Detailed Site Plan, Special Permit, or Preliminary Plan of Subdivision, which was approved under the prior Subtitle 24 and 27 and was in conformance with Subtitle 27 of the County Code at the time of approval. If no previously approved TCP exists, the thresholds shall be based on CB-27-2010 or the thresholds required by the Zoning Map Amendment which established the legacy zone. |
*Percentage of net tract area
(4)
The woodland conservation and afforestation thresholds for any Zone included in Subtitle 27 of the Prince George's County Code which is not specifically listed herein shall be based on the most similar Zone to the existing Zone. Thresholds for properties in Overlay Zones are determined by the underlying Zone, except as otherwise provided in this Division.
(d)
Conservation Requirement Calculations
(1)
The amount of woodland conservation required is calculated using one of the worksheets provided in the Technical Manual. The completed worksheet shall be included on the cover sheet or first sheet of each TCP.
(2)
The amount of woodland conservation required is calculated using the conservation threshold acreage, with additional conservation acreage required as summarized in Table 2:
(A)
The woodland replacement requirements as noted in Table 2 may be waived by the Prince George's County Planning Director when all of the following conditions apply:
(i)
the application involves the construction of one single-family residential dwelling for the owner or a child of the owner;
(ii)
the total area of woodland disturbed does not exceed 20,000 square feet; and
(iii)
no woodland is disturbed below the Woodland Conservation Threshold.
| Table 2. Woodland Conservation Replacement Requirements | |
| Location of Woodland Clearing | Woodland Replacement Requirement (acres) |
| Clearing inside transit-oriented centers | 0.25:1 (one quarter acre woodland replacement required for each acre cleared) |
| Clearing outside transit-oriented centers | 1:1 (one acre woodland replacement required for each acre cleared) |
| Clearing for Government or linear project | 1:1 (one acre woodland replacement required for each acre cleared) |