Reforestation is a silvicultural treatment used to reestablish forest cover and restore forest function, whether through natural regeneration or tree planting, and it protects watersheds affected by wildfire, climate change, insects, disease, and other disturbances. Prompt reforestation after catastrophic events or timber harvests accelerates the development of forest structure, species composition, and canopy, providing wildlife habitat, clean and abundant water, carbon sequestration, wood products, recreation opportunities, and reduced soil erosion. It also helps address climate change by conserving genetic diversity, adapting forests to changing conditions, countering greenhouse gas emissions, and restoring native species. In Maryland, when land development using state funds cuts or clears forest lands, the Maryland Reforestation Law, enacted in 1989, requires acre-for-acre tree replacement on public land within two or three growing seasons after project completion. Governor Schaeffer created a Task Force in the early 1990's to assess Maryland's trees and forests and promote land stewardship, and one recommendation led to the Forest Conservation Act and Regulations, written by the Department of Natural Resources Forest Service and partners. The Maryland Forest Conservation Act, enacted in 1991, made the identification and protection of forests and other sensitive areas part of site planning to minimize forest loss during development. During its first fifteen years of implementation, it reviewed 199,925 acres of forest on projects scheduled for development; 120,638 acres were retained, 71,885 acres were cleared, and 21,461 acres were planted with new forest, meaning at least twice as many acres were protected or planted as were cleared.