Montgomery County’s forests need our protection right now—so this teen took action
Trees play a critical role in our community, and it is our responsibility to help save them
Image courtesy of Noemi Bolaños
When Noemi Bolaños, a high school student in Germantown, Maryland, first moved to the United States a decade ago, she longed to find a sense of belonging. The only place where she always felt heard was the forest.
Forests reminded Noemi of Costa Rica, her home country. She found comfort in the forests; she saw her family in the forests. But as she watched acres of trees in her neighborhood disappear before her eyes, it felt like her community was being taken away from her.
Montgomery County has experienced tremendous growth in the past decade but not enough has been done to protect its forests and streams. The county’s thirty-year-old forest protection laws only require the bare minimum replanting when forest is lost to development. As a result, the county has lost nearly 1,000 acres of forest to rooftops and streets in the last 10 years.
We know that more can easily be done because neighboring counties—Frederick, Howard, Carroll, and Anne Arundel—have each implemented stronger forest conservation laws. In fact, Carroll County requires four times as many acres of forest be replanted as Montgomery County!
Image courtesy of John Brighenti via Flickr (used under CC BY 2.0)
Forests play a critical role in our community. They are essential for filtering pollution out of our water and air, combating the climate crisis and nurturing our well-being. When they are removed, the health of our community and local environment suffer.
Noemi, who is a passionate environmental activist with MoCo SAPPlings, was compelled to act. She knew she had to speak up for forests as well as the future of her generation.
As a co-founder of the Montgomery County Forest Coalition, Potomac Conservancy has been advocating to update and strengthen the county's Forest Conservation Law for the past two years. We’ve organized partners, attended hearings, raised the issue in the media and been in talks with council members directly. In partnership with Nature Forward (formerly Audubon Naturalist Society), we trained Noemi and other concerned community members to become effective local advocates on this issue.
Standing up for what deeply matters to her, Noemi presented powerful written and spoken testimony to the county’s officials, urging them to pass the strongest possible protections for local forests. She joined over 385 neighbors who shared their stories, signed petitions, and contacted their elected representatives.
Through our Clean Water Advocacy program, Potomac Conservancy has supported a wide range of local and state bills in the past year that are critical for restoring the Potomac River, our local streams, and protecting the lands that surround them.
Protecting our forests is protecting our future—and we are proud to stand with Noemi in her fight for a better future. Join her in speaking up for local forests and clean water today by signing up to get updates on our local advocacy efforts.