Vermont landowners plant 15,000 trees and shrubs to restore riparian buffers
This spring in Orleans County, five landowners planted 15,165 trees and shrubs on 50 acres of 50ft-wide riparian areas adjacent to streams and rivers.
Grounded on proven environmental benefits, the Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District (OCNRCD) and many other local, state and federal partners, such as the Northwoods Stewardship Center and the Missisquoi Basin Association, working in the Orleans County watersheds have grant funds to support landowners from the headwaters to the broad valleys in the Memphremagog Basin and Missisquoi River watersheds.
Establishing and monitoring successful riparian buffer plantings utilizes landowner involvement, volunteers, local contractors and a proactive, science-based method for site prioritization and restoration. Natural vegetated buffers of shrubs, trees, and herbaceous plants are relatively easily developed, planted and maintained at a reasonable cost. Utilizing stream geomorphic assessments and local site conditions like soil types and existing vegetative natural community, landowners and operators worked together to design and install many buffer projects this spring.
Misty Koloski, a dairy farmer in Newport Center, is one of the landowners who revegetated areas this spring. She said “Our experience with this project was certainly positive and the outcome great. Working with the Orleans County NRCD Director and the tree planting contractors was seamless. I was very pleased with the professionalism and methodology including selecting the species for the project
Over time, these buffer projects will benefit the water quality by filtering overland flow waters, improving aquatic habitat, protecting riverbanks and increasing scenic functions. All of these benefits have been proven critical to the long-term health of waterbodies – especially the 81 waters in the state that are impaired and require an EPA imposed Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan, which includes Lake Champlain and Lake Memphremagog. Through the Vermont Clean Water Act, programs like the Vermont Conservation District’s Trees for Streams program, and the commitment of Vermont citizens, State waters can be protected and improved to prevent further degradation.
