Tree Stewards and Scouts Team Up to Protect Wine Creek Habitat

by Contributor | June 18, 2019 6:34 am

OSWEGO – The Oswego Tree Stewards and Boy Scouts of America Troop #888 recently partnered in Buffer in a Bag, an initiative of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Trees for Tribs Program.

Stewards, scouts and their leaders all gathered on the bank of Wine Creek in Oswego on May 19 to plant an assortment of trees.

“The NYSDEC began the Trees for Tribs Program in 2007 as a way to protect small creeks and streams that feed into bigger rivers and lakes,” said Karen Noyes, associate planner with the Oswego County Department of Community Development, Tourism and Planning. “Stream- and creek-side plantings help prevent erosion, manage floodwater and enhance the environment for surrounding vegetation and wildlife.”

The Buffer in a Bag initiative offers landowners a bag of bare-root trees and shrubs native to their area at no cost.

Provided by the Saratoga Tree Nursery, the plantings are chosen for the appropriate growing region and their adaptability to streamside conditions.

Here in NYSDEC Region 7, the bag includes red oak, northern white cedar, silky dogwood, sand cherry, and winterberry.

Also enclosed are suggested layout instructions, as well as guides for planting, maintenance and tree protection.

The program is available to NYS landowners who hold at least 50 feet of land along a stream or body of water.

Applications with photos and planting plans are accepted in early spring and participants are chosen on a first-come, first-served basis.

The bags are sent to those selected in late April or early May for planting.

After five years, participants report on the success of their plantings and submit pictures showing their growth.

For more information about program criteria or to apply, call 518-402-9405 or e-mail [email protected].

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/community/tree-stewards-and-scouts-team-up-to-protect-wine-creek-habitat/

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