With the goal of improving water quality throughout the watershed, the NorthWoods Stewardship Center is coordinating two projects, in partnership with the Orleans County Natural Resources Conservation District (OCNRCD), called the Memphremagog Watershed Lakeshore Buffering Program and Trees for Streams Memphremagog.
Both programs are grant-funded and designed to provide cost-shared tree and shrub planting options for landowners with water frontage, be it stream, river, or lake. Buffering shoreline reduces the amount of runoff into lakes and streams, which improves water quality and reduces the threat of algae blooms. In addition, shoreline plantings help anchor the banks, reducing the amount of property lost to erosion.
We are currently reaching out to find landowners with unbuffered bank or shoreline who are interested in partnering with NorthWoods and the OCNRCD to create a shoreline buffer on their land. If you, or someone you know, is interested in learning about or enrolling in this program, please contact Meghann Carter at 802-723-6551 x113 or email meghann@northwoodscenter.org.
Photo, Right: Landowners Adrian Owens and Allison Van Akkeren with son Kestrel standing next to one of the trees planted on their property by NorthWoods Stewardship Center. In 2012 they chose to have an exposed, treeless strip of their property abutting the Black River planted with close to 300 trees and shrubs under the cost-shared Trees for Streams program.