Historic Montgomery County Tree Bills Stem from Citizen Action

July 2013

Thanks to the hundreds of local river champions who spoke up for water quality, the Montgomery County Council passed two bills to protect trees in the county - the Roadside Trees Bill and the Tree Canopy Conservation Bill.

The best legislative option passed thanks to your emails, calls and letters and the support of our partners including ConservationMontgomery, Casey Trees, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Anacostia Watershed Society, Maryland League of Conservation Voters, American Rivers, Rock Creek Conservancy, and more! 

These precedent-setting bills will tremendously help improve local water quality by protecting and enhancing urban tree canopy in Montgomery County, MD. The Roadside Trees Bill (41-12) conserves trees in in the County’s right-of-ways and the Tree Canopy Conservation Bill (35-12) expands tree replacement from construction and strengthens the County’s tree replacement fund.

Trees add countless benefits to our communities. Trees absorb and filter excess rainwater which would otherwise flow off impervious surfaces and carry toxins and pollutants into our local waterways. Greater tree cover also mitigates the threat of flooding and potential damage to residential and commercial properties. 

To learn more about Potomac Conservancy's efforts to promote and strengthen local water quality initiatives, please visit our Activism page >