---
type: "Bill"
title: "Natural Resources - Forest Preservation and Retention"
description: "Natural Resources - Forest Preservation and Retention"
jurisdiction: "us/states/md"
legislature: "Maryland General Assembly"
session: "2023"
identifier: "SB 526"
citation: "Maryland SB 526 (2023)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Elfreth", "Gile", "Guzzone", "Hester", "Hettleman", "Kramer", "Lam", "M. Washington", "West", "Zucker"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 15
vote_count: 0
first_action: "2023-02-03"
last_action: "2023-05-08"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/dda48446-887d-412e-9d52-5d40b7043a59"
source_url: "http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/sb0526?ys=2023RS&search=True"
source_hash: "0988154f9ed73676a6ba65a80cc8656441b59d793d5162677b9ab5c5350b1b9e"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-md"]
---

# Maryland SB 526 (2023) — Natural Resources - Forest Preservation and Retention

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Chapter - Natural Resources - Forest Preservation and Retention** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2023RS/Chapters_noln/CH_542_sb0526t.pdf)
2. **First - Natural Resources - Forest Preservation and Retention** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2023RS/bills/sb/sb0526f.pdf)
3. **Third - Natural Resources - Forest Preservation and Retention** (committee substitute) — [source](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2023RS/bills/sb/sb0526t.pdf)

## Sponsors

- Elfreth — primary (person)
- Gile — primary (person)
- Guzzone — primary (person)
- Hester — primary (person)
- Hettleman — primary (person)
- Kramer — primary (person)
- Lam — primary (person)
- M. Washington — primary (person)
- West — primary (person)
- Zucker — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2023-02-03** First Reading Education, Energy, and the Environment `referral-committee`
- **2023-02-07** Hearing 3/02 at 1:00 p.m.
- **2023-02-26** Hearing canceled
- **2023-02-26** Hearing 3/02 at 1:30 p.m.
- **2023-03-29** Favorable with Amendments Report by Education, Energy, and the Environment `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-29** Favorable with Amendments { `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-03-29** Second Reading Passed with Amendments
- **2023-03-30** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2023-03-31** Referred Rules and Executive Nominations `referral-committee`
- **2023-04-05** Rereferred to Environment and Transportation
- **2023-04-07** Favorable Report by Environment and Transportation `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-04-07** Favorable Adopted Second Reading Passed `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2023-04-10** Third Reading Passed `passage`
- **2023-04-10** Returned Passed
- **2023-05-08** Approved by the Governor - Chapter 542 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/dda48446-887d-412e-9d52-5d40b7043a59`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Maryland legislature records).