Forest Conservation Act - Linear Projects - Alteration

HB 1224 modifies Maryland's Forest Conservation Act to exclude new electric transmission and distribution lines (constructed on or after October 1, 2025) from the definition of "linear project." This change directly affects electric companies, as it removes their requirement to comply with tree replacement and forest conservation rules for these new infrastructure projects. The bill revises specific sections of the law to clarify that such utility lines no longer trigger afforestation obligations, while maintaining the rules for other linear projects like roads or pipelines. The effective date is October 1, 2025, meaning the exemption applies only to new projects built after that date.