Fraley-McNeal, L, Stack, B, Fox, J, Swann, C, Wilkins, A, Cappiella, K, Daniels, A. 2022. Maintaining Forests in Stream Corridor Restoration: A Best Practices Guide for Projects in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Prepared by the Center for Watershed Protection, Fulton, MD.

This guidance document includes best practices for consideration by agencies1 overseeing the implementation of stream restoration projects, as well as seasoned professionals, to minimize unintended impacts to riparian forests and ecosystems in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. It was developed collaboratively between the Center for Watershed Protection, Inc. (CWP), Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP), and stakeholders based on findings from a recent study, Maintaining Forests in Stream Corridor Restoration and Sharing Lessons Learned, that consisted of a survey of regulators, practitioners, and local governments in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; a literature review of guidance documents and policies relevant for stream restoration projects in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia; interviews with individuals considered experts in stream restoration and/or forest buffers; case study evaluations of stream restoration projects; and state-specific webcasts to discuss study findings.