RESTORE - Tree Planting
Why Trees Are Important
Forests once covered most of the land area of Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, but changing land use and more development in recent decades means there are fewer forested areas to filter water runoff and slow soil erosion. This results in more sediment and nutrients reaching the Bay and its surrounding waterways. Sediment and nutrients, the two major pollutants in the Bay, reduce water clarity and prevent sunlight from reaching underwater grasses (which form a critical habitat for crabs, fish, and other Bay life, and also provide food for waterfowl). Sediments stay suspended in the water column and block sunlight directly, while nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) spur the growth of algae, which in turn reduces the sunlight that reaches the bottom. When algae dies, decomposing bacteria consume oxygen in the water needed by fish, oysters, crabs, and other organisms.
Riparian Buffer Areas
Trees that grow next to waterways, or in "riparian" areas, are especially important for protecting water quality because they act as a buffer between land and water. A forested strip of land 35 to 100 feet wide along shorelines helps hold soil in place and filters out pollutants. Where trees already grow along shorelines, they should be protected; where they don't, they should be planted and the area left as a "no-mow zone."
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The Chesapeake Bay watershed is losing its trees! CBF is actively looking for volunteers to help plant trees along the shorelines of the Bay and its tributaries. Trees are crucial to the overall health of the watershed—they slow down runoff and the erosion of soil, which contains sediment, and they absorb the nutrients that are the main cause of pollutants in the Bay. Trees and forests also provide habitat for wildlife and help to cool stream temperatures.
How to Get Involved
In the spring and fall, CBF schedules volunteer tree plantings in riparian areas throughout the watershed. These events, which are usually held on weekends and last three to four hours, are a great way to learn about the importance of tree buffers. In addition, volunteers learn:
For a schedule of these events, check our calendar. To sign up to volunteer, or for more information, please call or e-mail the contact person shown in the calendar listing. or contact Heather Tuckfield or call 410.268.8816.
In Pennsylvania, CBF's Trees for Streams program offers high quality, native trees and shrubs to individuals and community groups interested in planting streamside buffers along their personal or community properties. The program is offered twice a year, in early spring and fall.
CBF's Grow-Out Stations
Volunteers can also assist at CBF's tree nurseries or grow-out station at Clagett Farm in Maryland. Tree seedlings are grown out in containers for one to two years before being transplanted at restoration sites. Volunteers pot up tree seedlings in the spring, water and weed trees and shrubs in the summer, and help protect the trees for overwintering. Contact Marcy Damon at 443/482-2156.
Citizen Workshops
From time to time, CBF offers workshops for citizens on such topics as "How to do a Tree Planting in Your Community" and "Restoration Workshop for Landowners." Check the CBF calendar or contact Heather Tuckfield.
Do you live in the "Critical Area"?
In the state of Maryland, the critical area is defined as land located 1,000 feet from the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay or its tributaries. Removal of trees and other vegetation within this area may be limited.
Maryland: For more information on Maryland's Critical Area, contact the Critical Area Commission (CAC) or call 410/260-3460. For a list of local authorities to report critical area violations, go to CAC's web site.
Pennsylvania: There are no tidal waters in Pennsylvania but for information on shoreline protection, contact the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts at 717/545-8878 or the Pennsylvania State Department of Environmental Protection at 717/783-2300.
Virginia: Virginia's version of Critical Area Act is the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, which is administered by each locality that is covered by the Act (not all localities located in the watershed are covered.) The state agency overseeing the Act is the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Department at 804/225-3440.
For general shoreline and erosion problems, contact the local Soil and Water Conservation District (for offices and phone numbers, contact the Virginia State Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) at or call 804/786-1712. Within DCR, the Shoreline Erosion Advisory Service provides technical information to landowners.
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