By Cindy Adams Dunn, Secretary of DCNR

In 2018 at the Lancaster County farm for the kickoff of the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership, I remember thinking about what an ambitious challenge planting that many trees would be and how important reaching that goal is for clean rivers and streams in Pennsylvania.

On Wednesday, October 19, 2022, the partnership will plant its five-millionth tree.

The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources =would like to congratulate the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for coordinating the partnership and the more than 200 groups and individuals who have worked so hard to reach this milestone.

Planting streamside buffers has been a priority for DCNR, so naturally we are proud to have been a partner since the beginning.

Adding 10 million trees alongside streams, streets, and in other priority landscapes will accelerate Pennsylvania toward the 95,000-acre goal for its portion of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Trees are among the most cost-effective tools for cleaning and protecting waterways by filtering and absorbing polluted runoff, stabilizing streambanks, and improving soil quality. We celebrate trees for many other benefits including:

-- Addressing climate change by cooling the air and sequestering carbon;

-- Providing shade that lowers water temperatures, improves habitat and food for aquatic life like brook trout and hellbenders;

-- Absorbing and filtering stormwater and reducing flooding; and

-- Providing economic value from air conditioning, erosion control, wildlife shelter, and air pollution reduction.

In addition to technical assistance like that offered by CBF and DCNR, it takes money and boots on the ground to plant so many trees.

What a tremendous job the many volunteers and conservationists of all ages from national, regional, state, and local agencies, conservation organizations, watershed groups, conservancies, outdoors enthusiasts, businesses, and individuals have done to reach the five-million-tree milestone.

We also acknowledge the pivotal role CBF played in getting the Keystone Tree Restricted Account passed by the legislature and signed into law three years ago.  [Read more here.]

Since 2019-20, thousands of Pennsylvania drivers have voluntarily donated $3 when renewing their driver’s license or vehicle registration online. More than $580,000 have been donated to the account to help plant trees.

Pennsylvania’s current budget includes an $8.8 million appropriation to the Keystone Tree Fund. We thank Governor Tom Wolf and the legislature for that.

DCNR is using the money from the fund to plant more trees through the TreeVitalize and Riparian Forest Buffer Grant programs.

The Riparian Forest Buffer Advisory Committee led by DCNR helps guide the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership in tree selection decisions. We meet monthly to talk about how to find more landowners to plant trees and share resources in order to get more trees planted along streams.

The committee will also coordinate a National Fish & Wildlife Foundation grant to CBF that will provide nearly $2 million to plant and maintain 360 acres of new trees, boost countywide action plans toward their buffer goals, and training that will more than double the workforce of private sector landscape professionals for buffer installation and maintenance.

There is a lot left to do. There’s an urgency to getting trees on the landscape, and we encourage all to get involved.

In 2023, the partnership plans to directly fund and plant at least 518,000 more trees for Pennsylvania.

Adding 10 million trees for Pennsylvania will take a long-term commitment of funding, more landowners willing to plant trees, and precious time and effort from volunteers.

But for now, we celebrate.

Congratulations to CBF and the partnership for reaching the five million tree milestone.

Along with you, DCNR accepts the challenge of planting the next five million trees.

[Visit the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership to learn how you can help clean water grow on trees.

[Visit DCNR’s Forest Buffers Along Waterways webpage to learn more about assistance available to plant riparian buffers.

[Visit DEP’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed webpage to learn more about cleaning up rivers and streams in Pennsylvania's portion of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates on Pennsylvania’s progress.

[Special Fall Round Of DCNR Grants

[October 27 is the deadline to apply for a special fall round of DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Program.

[Click Here to attend the free virtual grant workshop on Nov. 3.

[How Clean Is Your Stream?

[Check DEP’s 2022 Water Quality Report to find out how clean streams are near you.]

Related Articles:

-- EQB Adopts Final-Omitted Reg. Limiting Methane Emissions From Conventional Oil & Gas Facilities; And A First-Ever State MCL For PFOS/PFOA  [PaEN]

-- IRRC Sends Order Laying Out Formal Reasons For Disapproving The Final EQB Manganese Reg; EQB/DEP Now Have 40 Days To Decide How To Proceed  [PaEN]

-- Chesapeake Bay Executive Council Elects EPA Administrator As Chair, Starts Discussion On Steps Needed For States To Get Closer To Meeting 2025 Pollution Reduction Milestones  [PaEN]

-- Bay Journal: Chesapeake Bay Leaders Pledge To Step Up Progress Toward 2025 Cleanup Goals, But Admit They Won’t Meet Them

-- ​​NRCS-PA Awards Nearly $300,000 To Four Conservation Innovation Grant Projects In PA [PaEN]

-- Lake Heritage In Adams County To Become Live Stake Nursery With Support From PA American Water Grant  [PaEN]

-- DEP Begins Accepting Applications For $103.4 Million In Abandoned Mine Reclamation Grants Starting Oct. 24  [PaEN]

[Posted: October 12, 2022]

10/17/2022