k.grieser - trees for tribs update

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary NYS DEC Hudson River Estuary ProgramProgram’’s s ““Trees for Trees for TribsTribs”” InitiativeInitiative

Kevin Grieser, Riparian Buffer Coordinator, Hudson River Estuary Program

Riparian Buffer Working GroupNovember 10th, 2009New York State

Water Resources Institute


OverviewOverview

• Estuary Program & The Action Agenda

• “Trees for Tribs”• Who’s eligible• Site selection• How it works• Our plant material• Where we’ve

worked• Numbers to date

• What’s in store for the future


The Hudson River Estuary Program The Hudson River Estuary Program

The Hudson River Estuary Program is a unique regional partnership designed to protect, conserve, restore, and enhance the estuary. The Hudson's productivity and diversity of natural resources sustain a wide array of present and future human benefits. It is a nursery for valuable food and game fish, a water supply, a boater's playground, a landscape of inspiring beauty, a shipping route, and more. Its management calls for a cooperative effort of broad scope, coordinating public input with the expertise of professionals throughout New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation [DEC] and other agencies.


The Action AgendaThe Action AgendaThe blueprint for implementing this program is The Hudson River Estuary Action Agenda, first released in May 1996. Its principal goals are to protect and conserve natural resources and ecosystem health, clean up pollution and other impairments, and promote public use and enjoyment of the river. The Agenda specifies goals and objectives to be implemented over a four year period extending through the year 2009.


Riparian Buffers in the Action AgendaRiparian Buffers in the Action AgendaHudson River Estuary Action Agenda Goal 4: Streams and

Tributaries of the Hudson River Estuary Watershed

By 2008, map and characterize riparian buffer health of the Hudson River estuary watershed to assist in identifying opportunities for protection and restoration.

By 2015, protect or restore 750 miles of forest buffers through cooperative partnership and local land use strategies to protect habitat, reduce flooding damage, and cleanse stormwater runoff.


Buffers in the next Action AgendaBuffers in the next Action AgendaGOAL: Protect and restore the streams, their corridors,

and the watersheds that replenish the estuary and nourish its web of life, and sustain water resources that are critical to the health and well-being of Hudson Valley residents and the ecosystem.

By 2014, …develop and deliver local government guidance that protects stream buffers and floodplain corridors to minimize future flooding impacts and protect stream habitat and water quality, and work with pilot watershed communities to implement protection ordinances.

By 2014, …re-vegetate 15 miles of stream with native vegetation or plant 30,000 native trees and shrubs within riparian buffers while engaging volunteers. Assist communities and landowners to identify opportunities for streamside assessment, outreach and restoration through “Trees for Tribs” and other riparian restoration programs.


““Trees for Trees for TribsTribs””Replanting the Streams of the Hudson ValleyReplanting the Streams of the Hudson Valley


Who Can Apply for Who Can Apply for ““Trees for Trees for TribsTribs””??• Watershed Groups & Associations• Non-profits• Environmental Organizations• Land Trusts• Municipalities• Boy Scout & Girl Scout Troops• Home Owner/Neighborhood Assoc.• Schools & Universities• Farmers


Selecting a Buffer ReSelecting a Buffer Re--planting Site?planting Site?• Site Selection

• Avoid unstable streambanks

• Avoid buffers highly infested with invasive plants

• High profile/public/visible locations preferred

• Focus on lawn & grass • Must be located within the

Estuary Watershed


Riparian Buffer Widths & Their Riparian Buffer Widths & Their Ecological FunctionsEcological Functions


““Trees for Trees for TribsTribs””: So How Does It Work?: So How Does It Work?• Spring and Fall planting projects• Contact Buffer Coordinator & SCA intern

months in advance to schedule a site visit• Site analysis & recommendations• Submit an application

• Plant estimate formula• Schedule plantings & press releases• Volunteer recruitment• Technical assistance & site prep

• Planting plan & plant selection • Pre-digging planting holes

• Provide free native trees and shrubs • Trees tubes and weed mats• Bio-engineering stakes, erosion control

materials, native riparian seed mix• Coordinate planting event • Yearly plant monitoring & periodic maint.• “Trees for Tribs” signage


““Trees for Trees for TribsTribs”” Plant MaterialPlant Material• Tree Stock (~20 species)

• 1/3 Octoraro tubelings• 1/3 Pinelands #2s• 1/3 RPM #2s• Handful of bareroots

• Vegetation monitoring on trees at all projects with 100+ plants; caliper & ht.

• Shrub Stock (~10-15 species)• Majority from NYS DEC Saratoga Tree

Nursery as spring bareroots, half potted-up for fall projects

• Special species ordered as Octorarotubelings and/or Pinelands #1s

• Bio-engineering Stakes• NRCS Big Flats Plant Material Center

• Sandbar Willow• Southern Tier Consulting (9 native species)• Saratoga Tree Nursery


Celebrate National Volunteer Week & Arbor Celebrate National Volunteer Week & Arbor Day with the Hudson River Estuary ProgramDay with the Hudson River Estuary Program

The NYS DEC’s “Hudson River EstuaryTrees for Tribs” initiative will be hosting two volunteer bareroot-seedling “potting events” in celebration of this year’s National Volunteer Week (April 19-25) and Arbor Day (April 24).

Volunteers will help pot-up barerootseedlings for the “Hudson River Estuary Trees for Tribs” initiative - a program that offers free native plants to landownerswho qualify for stream buffer restoration projects.


WHEN: Friday, April 24th from 9am-4pmSunday, April 26th from 9am+

WHERE: The “Berm”, NYSDEC Region III New Paltz

In just two years, the “Hudson River Estuary Trees for Tribs” initiative has been responsible for planting more than 32,000 feet of stream buffers along the Estuary’s tributaries with 12,000 native trees, shrubs, and grasses. Over 70 projects have been completed to date with the help of some 1,200 volunteers and 50 project partners. If you’re interested in a Fall 2009 project, applications are due by August 1st.

Contact info: Kevin Grieser, Riparian Buffer Coordinator Hudson River Estuary Program(845) [email protected]/lands/43668.html


Trees for Trees for TribsTribs AccomplishmentsAccomplishments• 2007-2009

• 116 project partners• 136 project sites• 18,400 native plants• 49,000 ft. of stream

length• 1,500+ volunteers

• A typical planting season• 20-30 projects• 10-300 plants per project• 3,000 plants per season

(not including stakes)• 250-500 volunteers• 5-10 weekend projects• 5-10 weekday projects• 5-10 drop-off or pick-up

projects• $32,000 USFS Grant


WhatWhat’’s in store for the future?s in store for the future?• Riparian Buffer Protection

Outreach• More “fine-scale” buffer

mapping • Cornell Projects

• Roadside Ditch Mgmt.• Trees for Tribs study

• “Trees for Tribs” large interpretative signs

• Buffer brochure• Buffer native plant list• Native seed collection &

propagation• Buffer mix seed packets• Increased “Trees for

Tribs” monitoring


Contact info: Kevin Grieser, Riparian Buffer CoordinatorNYS DEC, Hudson River Estuary Program21 S. Putt Corners Rd.New Paltz, NY 12561(845) [email protected]

Spring 2010 applications are due by March 1st

Questions?Questions?

k.grieser - trees for tribs update

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