TOWSON, MD—County Executive Johnny Olszewski on Thursday announced that Baltimore County has planted over 7,100 native trees in neighborhoods and commercial districts over the past three years. This initiative is a result of two of Olszewski’s urban reforestation programs: Operation ReTree Baltimore County and the Street Tree Replacement Program.

The planting effort has spanned 46 communities to date.

“Increasing Baltimore County’s tree canopy improves air quality, beautifies communities, and delivers long-term benefits to our neighborhoods,” said Olszewski.

Operation ReTree, an equity-based program, focuses on historically underserved neighborhoods. Since its launch in late 2021, 3,667 canopy and understory trees have been planted in front and side yards of participating homeowners. The first planting occurred in fall 2021 in Dundalk, West Inverness.

The Street Tree Replacement Program, which began in fall 2022, aims to plant 1,000 trees per year in County rights-of-way along neighborhood and commercial roadways. To date, 3,435 trees have been planted through this program. The program started in downtown Towson.

This focus on urban reforestation addresses the decline in tree canopies in many of the county’s older neighborhoods. Nick Linehan, Gardens Chair for Associates of Loch Raven Village, said that the Loch Raven Village and Knettishall communities, built in the late 1940s and 50s, lost much of their urban tree canopy. “We have been making headway over the last ten years with volunteer tree planting events, but this program planted 396 street trees, just this fall! Their shade will cool the sidewalks, making it more comfortable to walk in summer, provide us with oxygen and purify the air.”

The DEPS focused on large rural reforestations before Olszewski took office. Before Operation ReTree, DEPS planted around 200 urban trees annually, primarily at the behest of community groups and chambers of commerce. Planting in urban areas tends to be more challenging and costly because roads and utilities take up much of the available land.

Urban reforestation efforts to date total $4.2 million, with $2.4 million for Operation ReTree and $1.8 million for the Street Tree Replacement Program. Funding sources include the County, the American Rescue Plan Act, and the Chesapeake Bay Trust.

To ensure the long-term success of the plantings, Olszewski added Forest Management staff to coordinate plantings and oversee ongoing tree maintenance. The tree species selected are hardy, drought-tolerant, and adapted to the specific conditions of each neighborhood. DEPS maintains street trees until they are well established.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.

Photo via Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski