HARRISBURG, Pa., July 27, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The
departments of Conservation and Natural Resources and Environmental
Protection today are announcing that grants are being made
available to assist landowners with planting trees along streams in
Pennsylvania to improve water
quality.
Pennsylvania has a goal of
planting 95,000 acres of streamside buffers by 2025.
"One of the best practices to improve the quality of our
waterways is to plant trees along them to prevent sediments and
nutrients from the land from entering them, and to provide shade to
help keep water temperatures cooler for trout and other stream
life," DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams
Dunn said at an event at the Bridger Farm in Crawford County today. "To assist landowners
with plantings, DCNR is dedicating $500,000 to a pilot grant program this year and
will give some priority to buffer plantings in our future grant
rounds."
The DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Program grant round
led by the DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation will open on
Aug. 1 and close Sept. 15 for this year. These new grants
are in addition to DEP's Growing Greener grants, which also include
funding for forest buffer plantings.
To expand on the existing streamside buffer options for
landowners, DCNR is piloting amulti-functional buffer option that
is eligible for grant dollars to provide greater flexibility in
landowner eligibility, buffer designs, widths, plant species and
offer the option of planting some income-producing crops in the
buffer zone.
"Thousands of acres of buffers have been planted in Pennsylvania over the past 15 years," Dunn
said. "This new option is intended to expand the landowners who are
eligible for grant assistance, and also offer farmers the option to
continue to produce some income from the stream buffer zone by
incorporating some crop plantings of specific trees and plant
species."
"Like all good solutions, streamside buffers offer multiple
benefits and solve multiple problems at once," said DEP Acting
Secretary Patrick McDonnell at a
meeting of the State Conservation Commission in State College today. "Streamside buffers
improve local water quality and habitat, and improve the quality of
the water downstream. This program will pay benefits far beyond
just where the trees are planted."
With assistance from the Crawford County Conservation District,
the DCNR Bureau of Forestry, and local high school students,
John and Amy Bridger planted about
2.5 acres of forest buffers along a tributary to French Creek next
to the barnyard of their farm in Cambridge Springs.
"Planting stream buffers allowed us to reduce erosion and create
a clear pathway for drainage along our hayfields and pastures,
which is critical for overall health of the farm ecosystem,"
Amy Bridger said. "We also were
thrilled that local students were involved in the planting which
raises awareness of the role of farming in food supply and
conservation efforts as well as the wonderful life that farming can
offer."
Dunn noted that DCNR Bureau of Forestry service foresters
located in each of the 20 forest districts statewide can assist
landowners with information about planting forest buffers.
Forest buffers along stream banks provide critical barriers
between polluting landscapes and receiving waterways. Properly
planted and maintained, streamside tree and shrub plantings filter
the runoff of sediments and the fertilizers that are applied to
lawns and crops; control erosion; improve water quality; reduce
flooding; cool stream temperatures; and improve fish habitat.
MEDIA CONTACT: Christina
Novak, DCNR, 717-772-9101
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visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pennsylvania-dcnr-dep-offering-grants-to-plant-trees-along-streams-to-improve-water-quality-300304907.html
SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources