Websites Focus on Bay’s Forest Buffers, Canopy

Two new websites are now available for those working to plant and protect trees throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The Chesapeake Riparian Forest Buffer Network and Chesapeake Tree Canopy Network were launched to help communities working on forest and tree canopy goals, said Anne Gilbert, director of Tree-Mendous Maryland, MD Department of Natural Resources, Forest Service.

Anyone interested in planting trees will find numerous training webinars on the Chesapeake Tree Canopy, Gilbert added.

The Chesapeake Bay Program’s Forestry Workgroup, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service collaborated on the project.

Chesapeake Riparian Forest Buffer Network

In recent years, the rate of streamside forest buffer plantings has been declining. Forest buffers are considered one of the most cost-effective practices to reduce pollution because of their ability to efficiently trap and filter pollutants carried by runoff. (Riparian buffers, which are typically forested, consist of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants near a stream.)

The website was designed for those working to increase riparian forest buffers in the Chesapeake region. It includes:

  • A map showing the progress of counties in enrolling landowners across the watershed in forest buffer programs,
  • Information on the importance of buffers and tips on how to plant and maintain them,
  • Stories illustrating the benefits buffers can provide, from water quality to economic benefits and
  • Resources on funding opportunities and outreach strategies.

Chesapeake Tree Canopy Network

Trees provide benefits ranging from cleaning the air to reducing polluted runoff. The Chesapeake Bay region has a dedicated network of champions for community trees aiming to expand the regions tree canopy. This website was created to provide them with additional resources.

It features:

  • A map showing local tree canopy assessments, community tree canopy goals and points of contact,
  • Community Spotlight stories to connect, support and showcase the existing network of tree-canopy champions,
  • Information on the importance of urban and suburban trees and how to assess, expand and maintain community tree canopy and
  • Resources on funding opportunities and outreach strategies.

Chesapeake Bay Region Goals

As part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, the Chesapeake Bay Program partners committed to meeting goals for both riparian forest buffers and the tree canopy.

The riparian forest buffer goal is to restore 900 miles per year of streamside forest buffers. They also aim to conserve existing buffers, until at least 70 percent of the areas along streams throughout the watershed are forested.

The tree canopy goal is to expand the urban tree canopy—the layer of trees covering the ground when viewed from above—by 2,400 acres by 2025. The result: Improved air and water quality as well as benefits to the habitat throughout the watershed.

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