DNR Announces 2004 Maryland Plant Community Award Recipients
Nearly 200 tree planting and care efforts are recognized across the state

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ANNAPOLIS — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Forest Service today announced the 195 recipients of the 2004 People Loving And Nurturing Trees (PLANT) Community Awards. PLANT is a statewide award program to officially recognize communities for their tree planting and tree care efforts. Communities range from schools, homeowner associations and parks to metropolitan areas, cities and towns.

Established in 1991, the Maryland PLANT Award Program is a cooperative effort between the Maryland Urban and Community Forest Committee of the Forest Conservancy District Boards and the Maryland Forest Service. The goal of the program is to guide local communities through the process of developing an ongoing urban forestry program. By reinforcing small, initial efforts, communities begin to "adopt" their local tree resources and once engaged, become invested in maintaining the health and survival of the tree canopy.

“From my perspective as the State Forester, there is nothing that embodies the spirit of the Forest Service more than seeing communities come together to plant trees,” said Steven W. Koehn, Director of the Maryland DNR Forest Service. “I would personally like to congratulate all of the 2004 Maryland PLANT Community Award winners.”

There are four PLANT award levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Green. Successive levels require more formalized tree care activities. Although a community may remain at any level for an unlimited number of years, the goal of the program is to encourage a community to grow through the award levels by strengthening their commitment and care for their urban trees. For more information about the specific award levels and to see a photo of each award, visit DNR Online at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/programs/plantinfo.html.

The number of PLANT Awards by county is broken out below. A complete list can be found at http://www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/programs/plantinfo.html at the bottom of the page.

• Allegany – 1 award
• Anne Arundel – 7 awards
• Baltimore – 12 awards
• Carroll – 2 awards
• Caroline – 2 awards
• Cecil – 20 awards
• Charles – 2 awards
• Dorchester – 1 award
• Frederick – 3 awards
• Garrett – 6 awards
• Harford – 8 awards
• Howard – 3 awards
• Kent – 5 awards
• Montgomery – 12 awards
• Prince George’s County – 85 awards
• Queen Anne’s County – 3 awards
• Somerset County – 1 award
• St. Mary’s County – 11 awards
• Talbot County – 1 award
• Washington County – 2 awards
• Wicomico – 1 award
• Worcester – 9 awards

Communities submit an application in which they describe the events and activities that meet the award criteria. Applications are submitted to the Maryland DNR Forest Service by January 31 each year and awards are presented in April, often in conjunction with local Arbor Day and Earth Day celebrations.

For more information about the PLANT program and awards, contact Terry Galloway with the Maryland DNR Forest Service at 410-260-8510 or tgalloway@dnr.state.md.us.

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March 28, 2005

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov