For a limited time...
Take Advantage of the Neighborhood Green program!

Submitted by Heather Montgomery, Frederick County
Office of Sustainability & Environmental Resources _________________________________________

For the past three years, Frederick County has collaborated with Monocacy & Catoctin Watershed Alliance partners to offer the Neighborhood Green program. This program provides landowners with the knowledge and tools needed to convert unused lawn to forest. By converting portions of lawn to forest or hedgerows, landowners can save money in energy costs, encourage wildlife viewing, create privacy and sound buffers, and provide their local community with water and air quality benefits.

Last year, thanks to a generous grant from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, the Neighborhood Green program was able to offer additional cost-share assistance to landowners interested in planting native trees and shrubs in the Linagnore Creek watershed, the source of drinking water for much of our County. 

Landowners with properties in the Linganore Creek watershed (New Market, Mt. Airy and parts of eastern Frederick and western Carroll County) can apply for up to 90% in cost-share for contracted tree planting (includes planting of the tree seedlings and installation of tree shelters and stakes).

All residents of Frederick County (and parts of Carroll County) are eligible for the following resources offered through the Neighborhood Green program: 

Free soil test and analysis – Testing your soil provides information about the amount and type of fertilizer that will work best for your lawn. It can also be helpful in determining which types of plants will grow well in your yard.

Personalized site visit by a natural resource professional – If you are interested in planting native trees and shrubs on your property; managing invasive species; and creating a more natural, sustainable landscape, our natural resource professionals would be happy to meet with you on your property to advise you.

Neighborhood Green workshop – On Saturday, May 18th, we will host a half-day workshop from 8:30am to noon at Linganore High School. Topics covered in the workshop include Reforestation & Invasive Species control, Creating wildlife habitat, Nutrient Management, and a presentation by past participants of the Neighborhood Green program. We will also provide participants with helpful literature and websites, seedlings to take home, a soil test, and the option to schedule a site visit by a natural resource professional. Registration fee: $10.

The Neighborhood Green program is a pilot program funded through spring 2014. If you would like to take advantage of any of the resources offered above, please don’t hesitate to fill out an interest form online at www.frederickcountymd.gov/NGreen. For additional information or questions, contact Heather Montgomery at 301-600-1741 or HMontgomery@FrederickCountyMD.gov.