Tree planting is a popular activity in the Chesapeake Bay watershed done by many local jurisdictions, watershed organizations and other groups, as well as State and Federal governments. However the existing urban tree planting BMP did not account for the variety of tree planting efforts and their associated water quality benefits.
In 2015 an expert panel was formed to evaluate how sediment and nutrient removal credits are calculated for expanded urban tree canopy. Just last month the Chesapeake Bay Program accepted the recommendations and revised credit for the Urban Tree Canopy urban BMP. The newly adopted BMP credits include two BMPs: 1) Urban Tree Canopy Expansion and 2) Urban Forest Planting. The Center’s own Neely Law and Jeremy Hanson from Virginia Tech facilitated the panel review and recommendations coordination.
A 2016 webcast from our friends at the Chesapeake Stormwater Network included the new information from the expert panel. To see the archive, click here!
