Natural Resources - Edible Forests and Foraging Program - Establishment
HB72 establishes an Edible Forests and Foraging Program within the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The program would let the Department designate foraging areas on Department-owned land, regulate foraging in those areas, and facilitate the creation and maintenance of “edible forests” on State-owned land. The bill defines foraging as harvesting mushrooms and plant materials such as seeds, nuts, roots, tubers, and berries for noncommercial personal consumption, while excluding threatened or endangered plant species.
The bill creates a foraging permit system for designated foraging areas. Individuals would need to apply for a permit, pay an application fee set by the Department, and possibly complete an orientation or foraging course. The Department must waive the fee for applicants who demonstrate financial need, and permits would be valid for one year. Separately, the Department would be required, subject to available funding, to establish and maintain edible forests on State-owned land, and no permit would be required to forage within those edible forests.
HB72 adds a new subtitle to the Natural Resources Article governing foraging on State land and creates a new special, nonlapsing Edible Forests and Foraging Fund. The Fund would be supported by permit fees, appropriations, interest earnings, and other accepted money, and could be used only for designating, planting, and maintaining foraging areas and edible forests, plus limited administrative costs. The bill also amends State finance law so that the Fund is exempt from the general rule that interest on State money is credited to the General Fund. If enacted, the bill would give the Department of Natural Resources new regulatory, permitting, and land-management responsibilities beginning October 1, 2026.
Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes provided, the public or legislative sentiment cannot be measured directly from the available history. Based on the bill text alone, the proposal appears generally supportive of expanded public access to foraging and the development of edible public landscapes, while also adding a regulatory framework to manage that access. The inclusion of a fee waiver for financial need and the exemption from permits in edible forests suggest an effort to balance access, conservation, and administration.
The main points of potential contention are likely to be the permit requirement, the fee structure, and the Department’s authority to regulate foraging on public land. Supporters may favor the bill’s conservation and food-access goals, while critics may question whether permits and fees create barriers to a traditional outdoor activity or whether the Department should be required to establish edible forests only when funding is available. Another possible issue is the carve-out from the General Fund for interest earnings, since it directs money to a dedicated special fund rather than general State revenues.