Chapter 6 Why Trees Matter
Trees as Part of Our History Trees are living history in the United States. When settlers first landed in New England in the 1600s, they found an abundance of trees of many species. About 950 million acres of forests once covered about half of the contiguous United States prior to the arrival of colonists in 1620. xix Forest cover reached a record low in the United States in the early 20 th century. Today, the U.S. continental forest is estimated to measure around 766 million acres. xx We have made progress on reforestation but there is still much work to do to replenish these resources. In the 17 th century, trees were viewed as practical renewable resources. Colonists used trees for timber to build homes, businesses, and boats, and provide heat to cook and warm homes. Later, trees became a valued source for crossties as railroads were built across the United States. It was not until the 19 th century that consciousness toward trees began to change. xxi Today, homeowners often consider trees as assets to their home and property value, as well as their quality of life. xxii
The Chesapeake Bay is the nation’s largest estuary and an economic driver for surrounding states. In the Chesapeake Bay watershed, forests covered 95% of the watershed when Europeans migrated to North America. About a hundred years ago, forest cover was at or below 25%, according to a 1910 soil survey. xxiii Today, forests cover about 58% of land in the Bay watershed. xxiv Although Montgomery County does not include coastline to the Bay, what happens upstream in Montgomery County has an impact on the health of the Chesapeake Bay because Montgomery County is in the larger Bay watershed. This means that water moving through our county, or directly from our watersheds, drains to the Chesapeake Bay. Montgomery County includes parts of the Potomac River watershed and the Patuxent River watershed. xxv According to the county DEP, the Potomac River watershed covers 88% of the county; the Patuxent River watershed covers the other 12%. Within each of these larger watersheds are sub watersheds, like branches of the Anacostia River, Sligo Creek, Rock Creek or Ten Mile Creek. Stormwater runoff or water from your garden hose could possibly drain from your yard to one of these streams or creeks, and then on to the Bay.
Chesapeake Bay watershed: USDA map
Tree canopies and forests contribute to the health of watersheds. According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the watershed loses more open land and greenspace to development each year. Development occurred in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia collectively at an average of 33,000 acres of open land per year between 2009 and 2019. Across the United States, existing urban and community areas are losing tree cover at a rate equivalent to approximately 36 million trees annually . xxvi
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