Graphic from Montgomery County Planning Department website.
Property owners in three high-density areas within the Silver Spring Regional Center boundaries are eligible for free trees under the Shades of Green project, according to a recent announcement from the Montgomery County Planning Department.
The project was launched as a pilot program four years ago and has expanded to 19 areas around the county that have a high level of impervious surfaces.
The program is designed to increase the tree canopy cover in urban areas, many of which have lost trees due to development. Additional trees will also reduce the heat island in those areas, as well as make these communities more attractive, among other benefits.
“The program is financed through the Forest Conservation Fund, which primarily consists of fees paid by developers when tree planting on their own development sites is impractical,” said the announcement.
The three eligible areas are Silver Spring, Flower/Piney Branch and Montgomery Hills.
More information about the Shades of Green program is available here.