A county “re-leaf” program aims to offer a little relief to Howard?s waterways.
“We are trying to increase the stream buffers on private property in Howard County,” said Laura Miller of Howard?s Bureau of Environmental Services in the Department of Public Works.
Through the Backyard Stream Re-leaf program, Miller visits residents and makes recommendations on how to tackle water runoff and control erosion.
In the fall, the county will deliver free native trees and shrubs to eligible residents who have agreed to plant them.
Miller said the county recommends plants that will thrive in the given conditions, whether they are shady or get direct sunlight.
The plants help filter pollutants, control erosion, shade the streams, and provide food and habitat for certain species, Miller said.
The county launched the program last year, spending about $20,000 to $25,000 in grant money.
Howard received about three times the expected response, Miller said, and more than 1,400 trees and shrubs were planted.
This year, Howard is paying for it, and the final price tag will depend on the interest, Miller said.
“We will handle all we can,” she said, adding they may have to deliver some plants in the spring.
New development leads to more impervious surfaces, such as parking lots and roads, which force polluted water to run into streams, reservoirs and lakes, according to the state Department of the Environment.
Some cities plant trees to provide a shade canopy, which can help reduce air conditioner usage and save money, said Brad Heavner, state director of advocacy organization Environment Maryland. Stormwater management is another major benefit to planting more trees, he said.
“Howard County has done a lot over the decades to unleaf [the land], so it?s great to see them do something to re-leaf it,” he said.
