Marian Honeczy

1. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing
Urban Tree Canopy
2015 NADF Partners in Community
Forestry Conference
Denver, Colorado

2. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing Urban Tree Canopy
• Citizens plant trees
• Maintain canopy
• MD Forest Action Plan

3. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing Urban Tree Canopy
Create 2 new planting assistance programs
….. reach non-traditional cooperators….

4. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing Urban Tree Canopy
the urban and suburban lot
owner
(the owner of the turf)

5. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing Urban Tree Canopy
(Thought process:
• 1.1 million acres of mowed turf
• Urban and suburban landowners
– Smaller lot size = smaller plantable space
(not traditional landowner)

6. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing Urban Tree Canopy

7. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing Urban Tree Canopy
1st program
Marylanders Plant Trees
• targets the landowner wanting
to plant a tree

8. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing Urban Tree Canopy
Marylanders Plant Trees is a coupon
reimbursement program
• $25 off native trees $50 or more in cost
• Online registry
• January 2009 - today

9. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing Urban Tree Canopy
2nd program
Lawn to Woodland
• targets lot with 1 acre
of plantable space

10. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing Urban Tree Canopy
Lawn to Woodland, a MD Forest
Service & NADF partnership
• no cost to landowner
• Spring 2014: pilot
• Spring 2015: statewide

11. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing Urban Tree Canopy
Results
• Marylanders Plant Trees
– FY09 thru FY15, 33,324 coupons reimbursed
• Lawn to Woodland
– Pilot : 14 ac; 12 lots; 7,000 seedlings
– Statewide : 100 ac; 84 lots; 41,220 seedlings

12. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing Urban Tree Canopy
Survivability (Fall 2015):
Spring 2014 plantings
85-90 %
Spring 2015 plantings
SUCCESS !!!!!

13. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing Urban Tree Canopy
Lessons learned:
– State contracts : commodities vs labor contracts
– Continued funding sources
– Landowners: lot size, dog fences
– Tree tube complaints

14. Maryland’s New Approach to Increasing Urban Tree Canopy
Marian Honeczy
Supervisor, Urban & Community Forestry
Maryland Forest Service
marian.honeczy@maryland.gov
(410) 260-8511