Stream Protection Practices

Stream Protection Practices help livestock and horse farmers whose pasture borders a stream access financial incentives for practices that support healthy waterways and livestock and that help comply with the Nutrient Management Program's livestock setback requirements for streams. Keeping animals away from waterways protects local streams and drinking water, prevents erosion, pollution, and habitat loss, ensures compliance with setback requirements, reduces herd disease and injury risk, and improves productivity. Practices delivered through the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program include horse and livestock watering facilities and spring developments (up to 87.5% cost-share), livestock exclusion (stream) fencing (up to 87.5%), stream crossings (up to 87.5%), and stream buffers (up to 100% cost-share to plant riparian forest buffers, plus $2 for each tree planted). The Conservation Buffer Initiative offers up to $4,500 an acre to install a riparian forest buffer with pasture fencing, plus a one-time bonus payment of $1,000/acre for new riparian forest buffers. Maryland's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) pays land rental rates to remove environmentally sensitive land from production for 10-15 years, with a one-time $1,000/acre bonus for new streamside riparian forest buffers.

Livestock and horse farmers whose pasture borders a stream. Individual practices are delivered through the MACS program and follow MACS eligibility. The Conservation Buffer Initiative is available during its annual open enrollment period (November 1, 2025 through April 30, 2026). CREP is a federal-state partnership program applied for through the USDA Farm Service Agency.

Everything published here is a cost-share percentage or a per-unit rate — there is no fixed per-farm award and no dollar ceiling stated for any practice.

Practices delivered through the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share (MACS) Program:

• Horse and livestock watering facilities and spring developments: "Up to 87.5% cost-share"

• Livestock exclusion (stream) fencing: "Up to 87.5% cost-share is available for this practice through the Maryland Agricultural Water Quality Cost-Share Program (MACS)"

• Stream crossings: "Up to 87.5% cost-share"

• Stream buffers: "up to 100% cost-share to plant riparian forest buffers, and $2 for each tree planted"

Conservation Buffer Initiative: "Farmers can receive up to $4,500 an acre to install a riparian forest buffer with pasture fencing. New riparian forest buffers also qualify for a one-time BONUS PAYMENT of $1,000/acre." Apply through your soil conservation district "during the annual open enrollment period which runs from November 1, 2025 through April 30, 2026."

Maryland's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP): "pays farmers and rural landowners attractive land rental rates to remove environmentally sensitive agricultural land out of production for 10-15 years and install conservation practices to protect streams and create wildlife habitat. Farmers who plant new riparian forest buffers next to streams qualify for a one-time BONUS PAYMENT of $1,000/acre." The rental rate itself is not published on this page; CREP is applied for through the local USDA Farm Service Agency office, not MDA.

No match is required beyond the farmer's share of the cost-share (i.e. the remaining 12.5% where the rate is 87.5%). Apply through your local soil conservation district for MACS practices and the Conservation Buffer Initiative — technical assistance there is free.

Contact your local soil conservation district for free technical assistance and to apply for MACS-funded stream protection practices and the Conservation Buffer Initiative. For CREP, contact your local USDA Farm Service Agency office. Program information: Maryland Department of Agriculture, Office of Resource Conservation, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21401, phone 410-841-5865.