EASTON, MARYLAND — Maryland’s Keep Maryland Beautiful FY2027 round is a four-rung grant ladder — Community Stewardship, Land Trust Assistance, Aileen Hughes, and Tree Planting on Agricultural Land — totaling about $349,000, not a single undifferentiated pot.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced Sept. 3 that the Maryland Environmental Trust, with the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Maryland Department of Agriculture, and the Chesapeake Bay Trust, is accepting applications through Dec. 1, 2026. Awards will be announced in March 2027. The Chesapeake Bay Trust administers the online application. The Maryland Environmental Trust grant page clocks award announcements for March 20 — Keep Maryland Beautiful Day — with project funds to be used from March 30, 2027, through Feb. 28, 2028, and grant money received by April 15, 2027.
Read the ladder by rung. Community Stewardship Grants, capped at $5,000 from a $54,074 pool, target schools, nonprofits, and community groups that engage residents — especially children and young adults — in environmental education and local stewardship projects. Land Trust Assistance Grants, capped at $10,000 from a $60,000 pool, fund capacity, programming, and stronger connections among Maryland land trusts. The Aileen Hughes Grant is a single leadership rung of up to $5,000 for an individual representing a Maryland land trust. Tree Planting on Agricultural Land Grants, capped at $50,000 from about $230,000, support nonprofit reforestation or afforestation on qualifying agricultural land toward Maryland’s goal of planting and maintaining 5 million trees by 2031.
The Chesapeake Bay Trust program page frames Tracks 1 and 2 — Community Stewardship and Land Trust Assistance — as about $114,074 combined for FY27, with Aileen Hughes listed separately and the agricultural tree-planting track carried on the DNR release’s larger ~$349,000 round total. Last year’s awards, per DNR, were 20 grants totaling $205,134 across nine Maryland counties and Baltimore City.
Mid-Shore applicants read the Dec. 1 gate, the per-track caps, and the March 2027 award calendar, then match project type to the correct rung. The official records do not publish a Talbot-only applicant list for this round.
| Track | Cap | Pool / note |
|---|---|---|
| Round total | — | ~$349,000 |
| Application deadline | — | Dec. 1, 2026 (CBT online closes 4 p.m. EST) |
| Community Stewardship | up to $5,000 | $54,074 pool |
| Land Trust Assistance | up to $10,000 | $60,000 pool |
| Aileen Hughes | up to $5,000 | $5,000 available |
| Tree Planting on Ag Land | up to $50,000 | ~$230,000 available |
| Awards / Keep Maryland Beautiful Day | — | March 2027 (MET: March 20) |
| Prior round | — | 20 grants / $205,134 |
Source: Maryland
Drawn from public records; drafted with AI and edited by Peter Gorman before publication.
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