Casperkill Watershed Oral History Project

The Trees for Tribs initiative is run by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as part of the Hudson River Estuary Program. Groups conducting streamside plantings and other riparian buffer restoration projects within the Hudson River Estuary watershed can apply to the Trees for Tribs program for free native trees and bushes. When planted along streams, the trees and shrubs help contain erosion and reduce the chance of flooding.

The following excerpt from the NYSDEC website explains the importance of vegetation buffers along streams:

Riparian (streamside) buffers are a major component to maintaining healthy streams and waters and their conservation is a critical element of any holistic watershed program. Riparian areas are often severely damaged during the land development process, leading to unintended negative impacts to our streams and rivers. Composed of trees, shrubs and grasses, these buffers help to reduce pollution entering waterways by slowing down and filtering runoff, thus extending retention time and improving water quality. Buffers also help to reduce flooding and erosion by stabilizing shorelines and absorbing high velocity flows. In addition, they serve an important role for wildlife as a shoreline transition zone and travel corridor, not to mention increasing overall biodiversity and improving in-stream health.

The Casperkill Watershed Alliance has conducted two Trees for Tribs plantings along the Casperkill; one by Casperkill Drive and the other one on Fran and Frank Hartenfels’ property. Both locations were facing severe erosion problems due to the lack of adequate vegetation buffers. CWA coordinator Emily Vail spoke to us about her experience with the program:

You can apply early on in the season (either fall or spring). You specify what your site is, how many trees you would need, if it’s one side or both sides, who would be involved. They like to do these plantings in public or at least highly visible areas.  So they give you native trees and shrubs that do well along streams. And Kevin (from the NYSDEC) actually came out and did a site visit for us and showed us exactly where to put which one, which was great because I wouldn’t have known: Red Osier Dogwood from the River Birch, which one would go better in which place!

It’s a really nice program and they have a sign that goes up, too. Fran and Frank have it right at the edge of their property. They live right near a school and they have a lot of neighbors that walk by their house, so it seems that they have had a lot of questions about the program which is exactly what they’re hoping to get.

For more information on the Trees for Tribs program, click here.