MAY 2015logos  

 

Community Updates 
tree banner
In this issue
Checking in on tree legislation two years later: How are we doing?
Decision Time for the M-83 Highway
CM Welcomes a New Treasurer
Sign up for Fall 2015 Home Tree Care 101
 

 

Checking in on County Tree Legislation Two Years Later 

How is the county doing on administration of the 2013 tree bills?

 


Planting the first tree to replace lost canopy

An April 27th event launched the Tree Montgomery program to use fees charged to developers for replacement of tree canopy lost to development.  Pictured left to right:  Caren Madsen, Chair of Conservation Montgomery, Laura Miller, Forest Conservation Coordinator for the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), DEP Director Lisa Feldt, County Executive Ike Leggett, County Councilmember Hans Riemer, Jean Cavanaugh of the County Forest Conservation Advisory Committee and Diane Cameron, Conservation Director for the Audubon Naturalist Society and a founding board member of Conservation Montgomery.  

 

In 2013, Conservation Montgomery led a grassroots coalition called "Trees Matter" to win passage of two landmark tree bills for the county, one dealing with street or roadside trees and the other providing legislation to mandate replacement of urban canopy destroyed by new development. Residents throughout the county urged the Council to pass the bills in order to conserve our vital tree canopy that enhances our quality of life and provides a multitude of environmental services. Both bills went into effect in March 2014. Conservation Montgomery recently posed questions to county officials to check in on progress made in administering the tree legislation.  


Q. Have regulations been written? 

The regulations for both bills were advertised in the December 2013 edition of the County Register. The Department of Permitting Services (DPS) received comments from four individuals. Both Arlene Bruhn, who serves on the Conservation Montgomery Board of Directors, and Mark Buscaino, who is an advisor to the Board, sent comments. These comments were addressed and both sets of regulations were sent to the County Council for approval. The Council Transportation & Environment Committee reviewed the regulations on March 11, 2014. The County Council approved them on March 18, 2014.

 

 Read the full article here.... 

 

 

 

 

Mass transit and conservation may prevail after years of controversy 

M-83, a Possible Light at the End of the Tunnel

 

By Jeff Barber

CM Environmental Writer


Mass transit advocates and Montgomery County community groups are hoping the end may finally be in sight in their years-long battle against a proposed four-lane highway that would run nearly six miles from Gaithersburg to Clarksburg.

 

The proposed Midcounty Highway Extended, designated M-83, would run east of and roughly parallel to I-270 and MD-355 and advocates argue it is needed to reduce congestion between the rapidly growing Clarksburg area and southern Montgomery County.

 

Read the full article here....

 

 

Welcome Najlaa Soghier 
Conservation Montgomery Elects a New Treasurer 

Boyds resident Najlaa Soghier has been unanimously elected as the new treasurer of Conservation Montgomery and our newest member of the board of directors.  She is a Certified Public Accountant with the State of Maryland and is employed as a senior financial analyst with Marriott International in Bethesda.  Najlaa graduated from the University of Maryland. 


 

"I'm very excited to join this great organization," said Soghier, upon accepting the volunteer position.  "I look forward to working with the board."  


 

The board would like to thank Silver Spring resident Beverly Sobel for two and a half years of service as our treasurer.  


 

 

Sign up for Fall 2015 Home Tree 101 Classes!  

Give your trees some TLC.  We'll bring an arborist out to your neighborhood to show you and your neighbors how to care for mature trees on your property. Or learn how to plant new trees with the "right tree, right place" concept.   

Now taking requests for Fall 2015 classes!  

  This is a partnership project between Conservation Montgomery and the Montgomery County Government. 


 

    

Visit our website at www.ConservationMontgomery.org for more information on all of our activities. 

Note:  This newsletter format may be awkward when viewed in certain browsers. 
Best in Safari. Not so good in Google Chrome.