Reforest Montgomery opened applications for its free shade tree program Thursday. The initiative, one of six programs within this unit of the Montgomery County Planning Department, provides households with trees to increase the community’s tree canopy.
Mia Rothberg, forest conservation planner and a manager of the Reforest Montgomery program, said trees in urban areas carry a wide range of benefits to the community.
“In urban areas, [trees are] really important for mitigating urban heat islands…they can cool city streets by two to four degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, which is huge,” she said. “[Trees] help to filter pollutants in air…areas that have more trees, even if they’re urban, people in those areas are at significantly lower risk for respiratory illness than people in areas with less trees.”
Rothberg said the tree-planting efforts are important to Montgomery County due to its booming development.
“Our funding specifically comes from developers meeting forest mitigation requirements,” she said. “The money that we’re using is really important in terms of helping the county recover the trees that are lost to developments that are providing housing or places for business.”
Households in various parts of the county are eligible to apply, with some “equity focus areas” being given priority. The program, previously known as Shades of Green, also provides a $50 coupon for native trees, the department said.
“By working together to plant trees in these urban and urbanizing areas, we can cool buildings, prevent flooding, reduce stress and improve quality of life for all county residents,” the department said.
Reforest Montgomery is accepting applications through Thursday, Feb. 8, and receives applications for spring planting in August, the department said. More information about the program and the application can be found here.
Photo courtesy Montgomery Planning (M-NCPPC)
