Montgomery County, Maryland MC311
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Montgomery County Executive Elrich and Department of Environmental Protection Join Arbor Day Celebration and Announce Grant from State's ‘5 Million Trees Initiative’
For Immediate Release: Saturday, April 27, 2024
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today joined the celebration of Arbor Day by marking the completion of a $814,000 grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust for the Maryland “5 Million Trees Initiative.” County Executive Elrich and DEP Director Jon Monger helped celebrate at an Arbor Day event at Viers Mill Elementary School in Silver Spring.
Maryland’s 5 Million Trees Initiative seeks to plant five million native trees on public and private land by 2031. This year, a grant was awarded to the County’s Tree Montgomery program to plant 1,400 trees at 27 schools in urban areas with low-income and high unemployment.
“Arbor Day reminds us of the profound significance of trees in nurturing our communities, said County Executive Elrich. “With this State grant, and the work of our Tree Montgomery program, we're not just planting saplings. We are fostering a greener, healthier future for our children. These trees will serve as living classrooms providing shade, improving our air and teaching invaluable lessons of environmental stewardship and sustainability for generations to come."
In addition to the trees planted through the State grant, DEP also is planting 235 trees at five additional schools across the County as part of the Tree Montgomery Program. Since the Tree Montgomery program started in 2013, the County has planted more than 14,000 shade trees with 2,000 of them planted on Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) campuses.
“Today’s Arbor Day tree planting is a great reminder of the important impact of trees in creating a greener, more resilient and more beautiful Montgomery County,” said DEP Director Monger. “This State grant furthers our ongoing important collaboration with the State, our schools, our partners and the community to achieve our shared goal of planting and caring for trees,"
The grant, along with future opportunities from the Chesapeake Bay Trust for the 5 Million Trees Initiative, will support Montgomery County's Tree City USA designation for the 29th year. Ongoing tree planting initiatives are essential in helping to increase tree canopy coverage, improving air quality, mitigating the impacts of climate change and enhancing the overall quality of life for residents.
National Arbor Day is traditionally celebrated by many jurisdictions nationwide on the last Friday of April each year. Arbor Day celebrates trees and encourages tree planting for a greener tomorrow.
To learn more about the County’s free tree program, visit the DEP’s Tree Montgomery program page.
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Media Contact: Cindy Peña