Keystone Tree Partnership

Number of Trees Donated by Noble Oak: 24,180

Planting Location: Specific location of planting Riparian, Suburban, and Mine Land properties across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Types of Trees: American Beech, American Chestnut, American Crabapple, American Elm, American Hornbeam, American Wild Plum, Basswood, Bigtooth Aspen, Bitternut Hickory, Black, Birch, Black Cherry, Black Gum, Black Locust, Black walnut, Black Willow, Bur Oak, Butternut, Chestnut Oak, Cucumber tree Magnolia, Eastern Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, Grey Birch, Hackberry, Hawthorn, Honey Locust, Hop-Hornbeam, Paw Paw, Persimmon, Pin Oak, Quaking Aspen, Red Elm, Red Maple, Red Mulberry, Red Oak, River Birch, Sandbar Willow Sassafras, Scarlet Oak, Shagbark Hickory, Sugar Maple, Swamp White Oak, Sweet Bay Magnolia, Sweet Gum, Sycamore, Tulip Poplar, White Oak, Yellow Birch, Shrub Species American Hazelnut, Arrowwood, Black Chokeberry, Blackhaw Viburnum, Buttonbush, Coralberry, Elderberry, Grey Dogwood, Highbush Blueberry, Highbush Cranberry, Maple-Leaf Viburnum, Mountain Laurel, Nannyberry, Ninebark, Possumhaw, Pussy Willow, Red Chokeberry, Red-Osier Dogwood, Serviceberry, Spicebush, Silky Dogwood, Silky Willow, Speckled Alder, Staghorn Sumac, Witch-hazel, Winterberry, Evergreen Species Eastern, Hemlock, Eastern Red Cedar, Eastern White Pine, Street Tree Species Basswood, Black Gum, Eastern Redbud, Flowering Dogwood, Hackberry, Honey-locust, Serviceberry, Swamp White Oak

Year: 2022

Project Description/Objective: The Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership is a multi-year effort designed to spark governmental action, public attention, and funding to rally efforts around Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint. The ambitious goal of this collaborative effort is to add 10 million new trees by 2025 in Pennsylvania’s agricultural riparian buffers, urban and suburban landscapes, and abandoned mine lands. A coalition of 199 diverse organizations are committed to making the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership goal a reality. This growing list of partners includes a range of local, regional, and national conservation groups, commonwealth and federal government organizations, nursery and tree supply businesses, and other businesses throughout Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic. The support from One Tree Planted guarantees that we have trees available to partners as we continue to build on our efforts to plan 10 million trees by 2025. The trees provided in 2022 are unique in that they were pre-selected to be grown specifically for this project by 3 growers in Pennsylvania and Maryland for our partners.

Ecological Benefits: Streamside forested buffers, with native trees and shrubs planted along the waterway, are one of the most cost-effective practices for reducing nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment pollution in both rural and urban landscapes. This project addresses the agricultural, forestry, and stormwater goals within the PA Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan Phase 3 (WIP3) and makes progress towards the PA WIP3 goal of 86,500 acres of buffer within the Susquehanna and Potomac watersheds. A majority of these plantings will be within agricultural landscapes to assist with restoring water quality and protecting the local environment. The complex root networks will reduce polluted runoff and erosion, preventing sediment and chemicals from entering streams. As native tree species, they will support natural ecosystems by providing habitat and food for birds, mammals, and insects. The trees will also reduce heating and cooling bills, increase property values, and trim the costs of flood damage and stormwater treatment. Over time, these landscapes evolve towards healthier wildlife and human communities.

Community Benefits: Planting 10 million trees across Pennsylvania boosts the economy through trees’ ability to reduce public health costs, crime and engaging local industry such as nurseries, garden centers and like-minded industries. Forested buffers play a critical role in cleaning drinking water sources and increased/protecting property values. Planting 10 million trees requires and inspires thousands of citizens, businesses, and policymakers from across the state to take action for clean water. The Partnership engages dozens of local and regional organizations working in sectors as broad as health care, social services, law enforcement and the economy. The Partnership utilizes thousands of volunteers and reaches a broad spectrum of donors representing public and private capital. Teachers and students connect with land and water; landowners take action on their own property. Contracting at scale encourages suppliers to press for sustainable practices, lower prices and ambitious planting goals. Policy and funding proposals focus the clean water conversation with elected officials in the Commonwealth. Campaign activities provide education and connection points for the public, the business community, and the service sector to engage and become fluent advocates for clean water issues