Pictured left to right are Terry Martin, Environmental Engineer, Talbot County Department of Public Works, and Preston Peper, Talbot County Parks and Recreation Director, at the Cordova Community Park where a variety of trees and shrubs have been planted through a grant from the Department of Natural Resources FY 21 Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund.
Talbot County, MD - Talbot County is participating in the Maryland Department of Natural Resources FY 21 Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund’s water quality improvement projects. The County’s Department of Public Works (DPW) has been working with Tom Leigh, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, in his role as the County’s “stormwater circuit rider,” to identify potential site locations for the proposed tree/shrub/meadow plantings in Talbot County to be funded through the DNR Water Quality Improvement Grant.
“This project will ultimately contribute to the sediment and nutrient load reductions required as part of Talbot County’s Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP),” states Terry Martin, Environmental Engineer, Talbot County Department of Public Works.
Trees have been planted at the Talbot County Biosolids Facility located on Klondike Road to enhance a stream buffer on the property, and shrubs have been planted along the recently improved Goldsborough Neck Road, both in Easton. These shrubs will provide protection from soil erosion and will also provide habitat areas for wildlife.
Part of the grant-funded project also includes tree plantings at the Cordova Community Park. The Department of Public Works, along with Preston Peper, Talbot County Parks and Recreation Director, selected this site as a park that would benefit from tree and shrub plantings and help meet the draft Cordova Village master plan’s recommendation to enhance Cordova Community Park as a Village asset and to shape its future.
“While Cordova Community Park is large in acreage, there are very few trees in most of the park. This grant has provided an amazing opportunity to plant quite a few trees in Cordova Park which will offer shade, nesting for birds, and improve overall aesthetics in the park,” comments Peper.
Tree species, planted mostly around the perimeter of the park near the walking path and parking areas, have included Red Maple, River Birch, Southern Magnolia, Pin Oak, and Willow Oak. Native shrubs, including Winterberry, Bayberry, and Serviceberry, have also been planted.
“We are excited that this grant could create a greener Talbot County, which will ultimately help contribute to the water quality in the County as well,” notes Council Member Frank Divilio. “We are grateful to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources for the grant funding opportunity to complete this project.”
