Maryland has just celebrated its own Arbor Day, well ahead of the national celebration on the last Friday of the month. This year, I’m glad to say we are catching up on an important initiative that will impact our future. Maryland made an ambitious commitment with the 5 Million Trees Initiative in 2021, and last year we celebrated the milestone of one million trees in the ground. More than 500,000 trees were planted in 2024. This spring we’re in the midst of our most prolific tree-planting season since the initiative started. In March alone, the Maryland Forest Service planted 197,000 new trees–a new one month record. So far, this year’s new plantings amount to about 500 acres of newly forested lands. These new trees will help improve the health of our communities, sequester carbon, purify our air and water, and bolster wildlife populations. The plantings are an investment in Maryland’s future, and the new trees offer an ever-growing return for generations. The department has also created a new Community Forestry division that will deliver more effective local coordination for programs like TreeMendous, TreeCity USA, and Gift of Trees. Our Ayton state tree nursery brought on additional staff this winter and is ramping up production to help meet […]
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