ELLICOTT CITY, MD – Howard County Executive Calvin Ball today joined Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources (DNR) Joshua Kurtz to celebrate DNR’s completion of its first series of tree plantings, pursuant to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the two in October that enhances Howard County and State’s collaboration to address shared climate and natural resource goals. DNR marked the first day of spring yesterday, March 20th, by completing its planting of 46,800 trees across 107 acres in Howard County, exceeding DNR’s original 2025 spring planting goals for the County. Photos from the event can be found on the County’s Flickr webpage.
With today being ‘International Day of Forests’ and ‘World Planting Day,’ it seems predestined for us to gather here by the grounds of our Department of Recreation & Parks’ beautiful Belmont Manor and Historic Park to mark this monumental milestone in our MOU with DNR. This robust planting achievement moves Maryland one step closer to achieving its goal of planting five million trees statewide by 2031 and also takes Howard County a giant leap closer to achieving our own goal of attaining 50 percent tree canopy cover in Howard County by 2030. I’d like to once again thank the Moore/Miller administration, in particular Secretary Kurtz and his entire DNR team for this impactful partnership that is securing a greener, healthier future for not just our Howard Countians, but for all Marylanders.
Currently, DNR has planted 46,800 trees in Howard County. Initially, in April of last year, Ball announced he was including $230,000 in funding in his Fiscal Year 2025 budget to support DNR’s tree plantings on State land in Howard County. The largest voluntary planting ever in Howard County, these trees will support the health of both the Patuxent and Patapsco watersheds, which contribute to their quality of life and sustain the Chesapeake Bay. Last October, Ball and Kurtz solidified this partnership by executing the MOU to provide a framework for this work and other opportunities for collaboration. Then, following the signing of the MOU, DNR subsequently expanded the acreage to be planted under the initial grant agreement by 30 percent, enabling the State to plant an additional 14,000 trees across 25 more acres than previously planned. This included 5,800 seedlings on nearly 13 acres of the County’s Belmont Manor property.
We’re grateful for the strong partnership we have with Howard County that has led to more than 40,000 new trees being planted in the county this spring. Howard County’s leadership has made a commitment to conservation and it shows through their work with our department to help the state meet the ambitious '5 Million Trees' planting goal. We look forward to continuing to grow this partnership and planting more trees throughout the county for the benefit of current residents and those who will get to enjoy the trees in the future.
“Howard County has become a leader in the State and region for protecting and expanding its tree canopy through its commitment to defending wildlife habitat, trees and meadows, maintaining natural and manmade ecosystems, and enhancing recreational opportunities,” said Nick Mooneyhan, Director, Howard County Department of Recreation & Parks.
Since Ball took office in December 2018, his administration has planted a cumulative total of more than 86,000 trees. This month’s plantings by DNR brings the County’s total to 132,800, a significant increase of about 54 percent.
In preparation for DNR’s plantings on State lands adjacent to Belmont, Howard EcoWorks, a local nonprofit that provides green jobs training, worked hand-in-hand with DNR to remove brush and invasive species in the area.
“The opportunity to provide education and training for our green jobs' trainees to support the County and DNR’s efforts has been a meaningful experience for our entire team,” said Lori Lilly, Executive Director, Howard County EcoWorks. “We look forward to more opportunities to support State and County plans to improve the health of our local forests.”
“Advancing strategic partnerships like this one with DNR is vital for Howard County to do its part in tackling the climate crisis, protecting the environment, and enhancing the quality of life for everyone in our community,” said Tim Lattimer, Administrator, Howard County Office of Community Sustainability.
Furthermore, this project also builds upon Howard County and DNR’s history of cooperation, which includes projects in areas of watershed management, open space acquisition, forestry management, and tree planting. In addition to this and other tree planting projects, last October’s MOU also provides a framework for collaboration on data sharing, nature-based climate solutions, public outreach, environmental education, workforce development, and public-private partnerships.