Western Maryland RC&D has been awarded $11,170 in FY 2021 MAERDAF funding for a project to produce tree and shrub seedlings at our Frostburg Grows nursery site which will be used to support hands-on forestry education in western Maryland via the Maryland Forest Service’s Backyard Buffers Program and other partner programs. The Backyard Buffers Program, which is primarily funded by a U.S. EPA grant, encourages homeowners who have a waterway on or adjacent to their property to create a streamside buffer of native trees and shrubs by providing a free “buffer in a bag” to help get them started in buffering their streamside. Streamside buffers create habitat for wildlife, reduce the amount of pollutants that enter our waterways, and stabilize streambanks, protecting them from erosion. Homeowners who participate also receive additional information, including fact sheets on the tree species, planting techniques, and guidelines on proper maintenance.
This project will complement and bolster the Backyard Buffers Program and further leverage federal funding by providing additional ecologically beneficial species of tree and shrub seedlings to landowners that are not currently available through the program. WMRC&D has coordinated with the Forest Service and Trout Unlimited to identify a list of species that are highly beneficial for conservation purposes, including buffers, wildlife habitat, and reforestation projects that are not currently produced at the Maryland Forest Service’s State Nursery.