Maryland's Forest Conservation Act applies to most projects that disturb 40,000 square feet or more, which is just under an acre. If your clearing is part of a subdivision, a building permit, or a grading permit, the county will want a forest stand delineation and a conservation plan before you cut. Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George's each administer this slightly differently, but the shape of it is the same.
Below that threshold, on your own residential lot, you generally have more freedom, with exceptions. Trees in a recorded forest-conservation easement, trees in a Chesapeake Bay Critical Area buffer, and county-designated specimen or champion trees often need approval before removal regardless of lot size. If your deed or plat mentions an easement, that's the first place to look.
Limits of disturbance matter. When a plan has been approved, the clearing has to stay inside the marked line, and the trees along the edge are supposed to be protected from root compaction. We stake and flag that line before the first tree comes down, and we keep equipment off the protected roots.
Practically, what we do on a clearing job is walk the lot with you, flag the trees to keep, identify utilities and drainage, and tell you if anything on the property looks like it will trigger a county review. Then we fell, grind or pull stumps, mulch the brush, and leave a site the builder or fencing crew can work on.
If you're not sure whether your project needs a permit, call the county's Department of Permits or Planning before you clear. It's a ten-minute call that can save a stop-work order, and we're happy to tell you what to ask.