Tree Plantings in Five Counties Part of Governor O’Malley’s Smart, Green and Growing and Million Tree Initiatives

(October 6, 2009) – Last week, the Maryland Department of Transportation’s State Highway Administration (SHA) began a $354,000 project to plant trees along various medians and forested wetlands in Baltimore, Harford, Carroll, Frederick and Howard counties.  The tree planting project will be completed fall 2010, weather permitting.  The first planting is in the median of MD 43 (Whitemarsh Boulevard) between US 40 (Pulaski Highway) and MD 150 (Eastern Boulevard).

SHA is planting more than 4,560 trees in medians, roadsides and wetlands in Baltimore and Harford counties and an additional 11,055 trees in Carroll, Howard and Frederick counties.  The tree plantings are part of the One Million Trees, which is part of Governor Martin O’Malley’s Smart, Green and Growing Initiative.  So far, SHA has partnered with other State agencies to plant nearly 160,000 trees as part of the initiative.

Planting trees reduces SHA’s inventory of areas to mow, further helping to reduce greenhouse gas emission from mowers and operational costs to SHA.  Trees are important to creating a sustainable environment.  An acre of mature trees can absorb an equal amount of carbon dioxide produced by a car driven 26,000 miles per year.  Trees also stabilize top soil and save energy by shading surfaces during summer months. The project, lasting up to two years, will also help employ up to 10 people from the region.
 

This project is made possible through Governor Martin O’Malley’s aggressive management of the requirements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, bringing critically needed transportation investments to Maryland.  Projects such as these are stimulating Maryland’s economy by supporting hundreds of jobs.  Follow the delivery of these projects at www.recovery.maryland.gov, which tracks every category of ARRA spending and provides contract-level details to the public in an effort to achieve new levels of government transparency and efficiency.

Introduced by Governor Martin O’Malley in October 2008, Maryland’s Smart, Green & Growing initiative was created to strengthen the state’s leadership role in fostering smarter, more sustainable growth and inspiring action among all Marylanders to achieve a more sustainable future. The initiative brings together state agencies, local governments, businesses and citizens to create more livable communities, improve transportation options, reduce the state’s carbon footprint, support resource based industry, invest in green technologies, preserve valuable resource lands and restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

SHA’s contractor for the project is Greenkeeper Environmental, Inc. of Ashton.   Those who have questions about tree plantings throughout the State may call SHA’s Office of Environmental Design toll-free at 1-800-446-5962. 

###