October 4, 2019
Stop the Bulldozers and Save the Trees Monday, Oct 7th at 6pm
By every conceivable measure, Anne Arundel County leads Maryland in forest loss. And the numbers are staggering.
“Since 2010, Anne Arundel County
has lost 2,840 acres of forest
to development.”
Forests are one of our most valuable resources in our work towards clean water. From capturing and filtering out pollution before it enters our waterways to alleviating flooding by stabilizing the soil, trees provide countless health, economic, and environmental benefits. But despite their value, forests continue to disappear at an alarming rate, and efforts to restore them are lagging. In Maryland, nowhere is this more true than Anne Arundel County.
Since 2010, Anne Arundel County has lost 2,840 acres of forest to development. This is more than Baltimore City, Calvert, Prince George’s, Howard, and Baltimore counties combined. And it doesn’t look like the trend is going to change either, as the Chesapeake Bay Program projects Anne Arundel losing as much as six percent of its remaining forest cover by 2025—a projection that also leads the state.
What can you do?
Join the rally at Whitmore Park on Calvert Street in Annapolis on October 7 at 6 p.m. to show support for the measure.
Speak Up and contact your council member here to tell our elected officials we want #moretreesplease.
With forest loss comes severe, and at times, irreversible, damage. Property values drop. Wildlife habitat disappears. Local water quality deteriorates.
This loss is unacceptable. But the Anne Arundel County Council is considering a critical bill that would turn the tide for the county’s forests. Bill #68-19’s multi-pronged approach would help the county grow better by encouraging innovative site designs and including flexibility for developers to save more trees while building quality projects. The changes in the bill are critical to reverse the trend of Anne Arundel County’s depleting forests and ensure the benefits they provide are available for future generations.