Health & Fitness
Howard County's ‘Stream Releaf’ Program Grows in Popularity as Funding Wanes
Fifty-two Howard County families received free trees from the Department of Recreation and Parks to create buffers along streams.
“Deliveries are underway!” said Megan Handshu, program manager for the Natural Resources Division of Howard County's Department of Recreation and Parks, in an email.
We were among 52 lucky families chosen this fall to receive 12 free trees and shrubs under the county’s Stream Releaf initiative. The program was designed to increase the number of native plants stabilizing stream banks as a means of preventing erosion.
All told, we received two each of six species. In exchange for the free plants, we had to agree to plant them on our property within 75 feet of a qualifying stream, maintain them and never cut them down.
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I learned from Handshu that the program’s budget had been $20,000 in the past, but was cut to $17,500 for fiscal year 2011. This is a real shame given its popularity.
“We provided more plants this fall to residents than we have in any of the past seasons. We had 52 participants and a total of 1,126 plants given away this fall, up from 29 participants and 654 plants in the spring,” said Handshu. “We have a long waiting list for the spring already, but our spring budget will be small because this fall was so successful. I think we could find as many participants as the budget will allow.”
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I also learned that a local business, Clear Ridge Nursery, was the provider of the plants. “We have a contract with them,” said Handshu.
My dad, Norm (pictured with shovel in hand), and I planted the trees and shrubs over two days. It was a rewarding experience that was made all the more satisfactory because we felt like perhaps we were helping the environment.
“The easiest way to track the benefits of this program is to note the increase in urban tree canopy,” said Handshu. “However, these trees may not make an impact on our aerial photos and GIS forest cover layers for several years. We track the number of trees being planted at each property, but before and after water quality samples have not been taken. I have taken pictures at each site which has planted over 100 trees. With the property owner’s permission, I do hope to go back and see how the trees and shrubs have helped with stream bank erosion.”
This post originally appeared on Green Business Matters.
