Re-Leaf the Reserve:
New Program to accelerate afforestation and reforestation in support of Montgomery's County's Climate Change Response Plan
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Recent reports on the coming impacts of climate change have put an even finer point on the need for action - not soon, but now - to avoid even worse impacts than we are already feeling. Montgomery County can, and must, be a leader on both reducing sources of atmospheric carbon and reducing the carbon already there.
The climate challenge we are up against requires an "all of the above" approach but there are two solutions that have proven to be highly effective from both a sequestration and cost perspective. Both are as old as the forest and the dirt under our feet. The first is a group of agricultural practices called Regenerative Agriculture. Taken together, this regimen of cover crops, limits on soil disturbance and livestock partnership concentrate more carbon in the soil, increasing crop yields and soil health. A 2% increase in soil carbon could offset all other sources of greenhouse gasses. See our full post on Regenerative Ag here. |
Current Tally - 26 Acres Re-Forested
Check out this video profile of 2 plantings |
The next solution is reforestation, an acre of forest (100 trees per acre makes a forest) can absorb 68 tons of carbon - or the equivalent of taking 17 cars off the road for a year. ( A temperate forest can sequester 68 tons of carbon/acre (CRS Report - see table on p.5) ( Average passenger vehicle emits 4.6 Tons of Carbon/year - EPA). Trees also improve soil absorption - an inch of rain will drop 27,000 gallons of water on one acre. If this acreage is just bare compacted soil, most of this water will flow into streams, carrying sediment with it - detracting from water quality. Acreage under perennial vegetation (like trees) will hold onto much of this runoff. Montgomery county gets an average of 43 in of rain per year - meaning an acre of reforested trees can reduce runoff to the tune of 1.2 Million Gallons of water annually.
In Montgomery County, any trees that must be cut down in the course of development that can't be replanted on the site incur a fee. The proceeds from this fee fund tree plantings elsewhere. The County Planning department has been reforesting along stream buffers on parkland and has planted 32 acres. This fund can provide many more acres of trees. MCA is proud to partner with the Montgomery County Planning Department on this program to identify landowners in the Ag Reserve that would like to give these trees a home, particularly along streams. A "Reserve Re-leaf" - if you will. These new forested areas will fall under forest conservation easements - protecting the new plantings - and the streams they help stabilize. (Live Down County but want host trees - there are existing county programs to get you started!)
In Montgomery County, any trees that must be cut down in the course of development that can't be replanted on the site incur a fee. The proceeds from this fee fund tree plantings elsewhere. The County Planning department has been reforesting along stream buffers on parkland and has planted 32 acres. This fund can provide many more acres of trees. MCA is proud to partner with the Montgomery County Planning Department on this program to identify landowners in the Ag Reserve that would like to give these trees a home, particularly along streams. A "Reserve Re-leaf" - if you will. These new forested areas will fall under forest conservation easements - protecting the new plantings - and the streams they help stabilize. (Live Down County but want host trees - there are existing county programs to get you started!)
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Each tree makes a forest, each of us can make more forests happen. If...
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If you'd like to support Re-Leaf with a check - please make it out to "MCA" with "Releaf" in the memo line and send to: MCA PO Box 24, Poolesville, MD 20837
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Re-Leaf is also an excellent educational opportunity - check out the incredible volunteer mulching done by this class of 3rd graders! To get your group involved planting and caring for trees- get in touch: info@mocoalliance.org
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Program Oversight is provided by MCA Board Member Carole Bergmann. Carole is the Founder of Weed Warriors, pictured here showing Weed Warrior volunteers some invasive Japanese Stiltgrass.
Carole was the Montgomery County Forest Ecologist and her career of forest protection was honored in 2017 by the Joe Howard Award from Conservation Montgomery. Carole is a member of: Montgomery Co Forestry Board member Maryland Invasive Species Council Member Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council Board Member She is a Grad School USA Natural History Field Studies instructor and also takes time to lead field trip for local schools and Audubon Naturalist Society |
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Contracting for planting and aftercare is provided by Garth an Amy Seely of Gardens by Garth and the LAND outdoor education program - both local businesses in the Ag Reserve. The Seelys bring both long expertise in plant establishment an care along with a education background that engages our youngest volunteers.
We've partnered with Schotts Nursery to provide the saplings for planting.
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Press and Other Resources
- A Case Study: Thanks to Doug Boucher for sharing a report on his "A Natural Reforestation Experiment in Montgomery County, Maryland:Results from the First Fifteen Years"
- The Guardian "Let Nature Heal"
- The Guardian "Tree planting 'has mind-blowing potential' to tackle climate crisis"
Our Executive Director Caroline Taylor explains the Re-Leaf Program on Montgomery Week in Review
