County Executive James T. Smith Jr.
400 Washington Avenue
Old Courthouse Mezzanine
Towson, Maryland 21204
410-887-2450
E-mail Address: jimsmith@co.ba.md.us
Dear Friends of Baltimore County,
Of all the things we pass on to our children, a clean environment is one of the most important. Throughout Baltimore County’s history, generation after generation has understood that. Leaders and citizens have worked hard to cherish our agricultural heritage – which includes a healthy respect for our land. We have been careful with our streams and rivers, we’ve encouraged growth while preserving open spaces, and the county has always found creative tools for protecting our environment.
Thanks in part to generations of good environmental stewardship, Baltimore County has been recognized as one of the most nature-friendly communities in the country. We have won awards from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and our citizens live in neighborhoods with easy access to parks and green spaces.
Baltimore County’s commitment to our environment is as strong today as it has always been. We are using the innovative Montreal Process to help manage our forests, our schools send thousands of students each year to the Marshy Point Nature Center for environmental education, and individual schools like Woodlawn High School have great programs for teaching our children about the environment and how to protect it.
This spring, Baltimore County has a new program to promote a healthy Baltimore County environment – the Growing Home Campaign. Improving the urban tree canopy is one of the most important things we can do to protect our environment, and the best way to expand our canopy is simple – plant a tree.
Trees in urban and suburban communities are important for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is that they improve the look and feel of a neighborhood. They also help manage storm runoff, reduce air pollution, provide a home for wildlife, improve property values, and help reduce energy costs by providing shade and blocking wind.
A study by Baltimore County’s Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management suggests that the beltway communities of Baltimore County have only half the number of trees they should have. But as individual families and as a community, we can fix that.
Through a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Program, Baltimore County’s Growing Home Campaign will provide county residents who would like to plant a tree in their yard with a coupon for ten dollars off the purchase of a qualifying tree. Through brochures, the county website and news letters to community groups, we will also provide residents with information on how to pick the right tree for your yard, and the best way to plant it. Our goal is to plant ten thousand new trees in Baltimore County this spring, and I know we can do it. Baltimore County residents have participated in the State’s Tree-mendous tree planting program in record numbers over the past sixteen years, so we just need to apply the same energy we brought to planting on public land to planting in our own yards.
Retailers across the county are participating in the Growing Home Campaign, and I want to thank all of them for their support.
Like many of the most successful initiatives, the Growing Home Campaign is a collaborative effort. In addition to David Carroll and his staff at the Department of Environmental Protection, we have had help from the U.S. Forest Service, the Maryland Nursery and Landscape Association, and generous support from Baltimore Gas and Electric.
Every tree we plant makes a difference, and every tree will improve the environment and the quality of life in Baltimore County.
James T. Smith, Jr.
Baltimore County Executive
Revised June 1, 2006
Courthouse 