Conservation Montgomery Archives
Welcome to our site archives. The Conservation Montgomery Board of Directors believes in making informed decisions and developing recommendations based on a solid foundation of research. This index is a collection of articles, academic papers, presentations, case studies and research by other organizations related to the priorities identified by Conservation Montgomery as key to sustainability in Montgomery County, MD. We have included links to past Conservation Montgomery newsletters, papers and testimony written and delivered by our Directors. Credit for the work posted below will be located within each item when the link is opened. If you know of a paper, article or presentation that might be of interest to us, please contact us at ConservationMontgomery@live.com. Our index is only a sampling of the wealth of valuable research on these topics. Just click on to a document title to open the link.
Archived Conservation Montgomery Columns
- Revitalizing Green Spaces by Building a Trail by Jennifer Chambers, February 2012
- A New Year Resolution for Climate Change by Marea Hatziolos, January 2012
- Love Technology But Keep It Human by Caren Madsen, October 2011
- A Pedestian Safety Roadmap by Evan Glass, July 2011
- Brickyard Road, A Cautionary Tale by Ginny Barnes, June 2011
- Rethinking the Value of the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission by Caren Madsen, April 2011
- Where the Sidewalks Begin by Arlene Bruhn, March 2011
- A Hands-On Way to Preserve Montgomery County Forests by David Hauck, February 2011
- What will Maryland look like with 50 million fewer plastic bags? by Jennifer Chambers, January 2011
- No Net Loss Must Be the Basis of New County Forest and Tree Legislation, by Ginny Barnes, December 2010
- Mind the Gap: Article on the need for an urban forestry program in Montgomery County by Caren Madsen, October 2010
Archived Conservation Montgomery E-Newsletters
- October 2010
- November 2010
- December 2010
- January 2011
- February 2011
- March 2011
- April 2011
- June 2011
- July 2011
- September 2011
- October 2011
- November 2011
- January 2012
- February 2012
Archived Clips
- Voice article on Conservation Montgomery, March 2011
- Gazette story on the Conservation Montgomery Tree Planting Project with the Boy Scouts, November 2011
Articles, Research and Presentations
Climate Change
- NEW! Link to the EPA Interactive Map Showing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- Link to the Climate Central online library
- Climate Change and Stormwater Management: Adapting Community Infrastructure to Climate Change. Solutions for stormwater management and community forests
- Developing a Climate Change Action Plan for the National Capital Region, from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, November 2008
Communities
Energy and Renewable Energy
Environmental Accomplishments
Environmental Site Design
- Achieving Environmentally Sensitive Design in Growth Areas Through Flexible Zoning and Innovative Regulations. 1992, Maryland Office of Planning
- Environmental Site Design, Chapter 5 from the Maryland Department of the Environment Stormwater Design Manual
- Environmental Site Design information from Community Environmental Defense Services
- Environmental Site Design, Achieving the Promise from the Community & Environmental Defense Services
- Implementing Environmental Site Design in Montgomery County. 2010, Report prepared for Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection
Forests and Urban Tree Canopy
- Montgomery County Urban Tree Canopy Assessment, 2011 data
- A Report on Prioritizing Areas to Increase Urban Tree Canopy in New York City. 2009, University of Vermont
- Alliance for Community Trees (ACT). Collection of Research
- American Forests: What Can Local Officials Do?
- Attention Developers: Saving Trees Means Money (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
- Benefits of Urban Trees
- Benefits of Urban Trees from the USDA Southern Region
- Better Foliage Through Zoning. Article from American Planning Association's Zoning Practice. June 2008
- Chesapeake Bay Urban Tree Canopy Goals. Website from Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- Developing Successful Tree Ordinances. North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Service
- Fact Sheet on Chesapeake NEMO
- Forest Fragmentation in the Chespeake Bay Watershed
- Gazette article on Takoma Park tree ordinance
- Human Dimensions of Urban Forestry and Urban Greening: Online repository of research by Kathleen Wolf, Ph.D., University of Washington
- Local Government Commission Research on the Far-Reaching Benefits of Trees
- Montgomery County Forest Cover and Tree Canopy: 2011 Overview
- Montgomery County Urban Tree Legislation Project
- Montgomery County Forest Conservation Task Force, 2007 Recommendations on Administrative Changes for FCL Administration
- Neighbors and Nature, Where Trees are Planted, Communities Grow
- Planning the Urban Forest. March 3, 2011 Presentation by James Schwab, American Planning Association
- Protecting the Forests of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
- Relationship Among Tree Canopy Quantity, Community Demographics, and Tree City U.S.A. Program Participation in Maryland (white paper)
- Resource Land Loss and Forest Vulnerability in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
- Saving Trees and Making Money in Residential Real Estate. 2006, University of Tennessee
- State of Chesapeake Forests (link to the USDA summary and the full report)
- Street Trees: Research from the Milwaukee River Basin Partnership. 2003
- Street Trees: Research from the Center for Urban Forestry
- Surviving a Budget Crisis: One City's Story. Center for Urban Forest Research (link to newsletter with this article). 2003
- The Large Tree Argument: The Case for Large Stature Trees vs. Small Stature Trees
- Large Tree Argument booklet
- Tree City Communities in Maryland
- Trees on Main Street, Influences on Retail and Shopping Behavior, University of Washington
- Trends in Urban Forestry Practices, Programs and Sustainability: Contrasting a Pennsylvania, U.S. Study. Elmendorf, Cotrone, Mullen. Journal of Arboriculture. July 2003
- Trends and Issues in City Forests. Kiebaso, Journal of Arboriculture. March 1990
- Top 10 Reasons Why Forests Matter, from the Nature Conservancy website
- Urban Forest Ecology: Conceptual Points of Departure. Roundtree. 1998
- Urban Forest Management Resource Page from the Arbor Day Foundation
- Urban Forestry Best Management Practices for Public Works Managers, Urban Forest Management Plan. 2007. American Public Works Association
- Urban Natural Resources as Capital Assets. Hartel, USDA Forest Service
- Using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems to Study Urban Quality of Life and Urban Forest Amenities. Jensen, et. al. Ecology and Society
- Value of Forests from the Chesapeake NEMO (Network for Education of Municipal Officials)
- Vibrant Cities and Urban Forests
- Watershed Forestry Resource Guide. Website from the Center for Watershed Protection
Green Economy and Green Jobs
- Department of Environmental Protection Presentation on Green Economic Opportunities, 2010
- Green for All Resources
- Montgomery County Green Business Cerification Program
Green Space and Public Health
- A New Public Services: Green Space, Health and Economic Development Are Proved to Be Linked – This is Where the Money Should Be Spent. John Vidal. 2008
- 'Crowded suburbs' and 'killer cities': a brief review of the relationship between urban environments and mental health. Helen Berry. 2008. Abstract.
- Head Out for a Daily Dose of Green Space. Jane Brody, New York Times, Nov. 29, 2010
- Vitamin G: effects of green space on health, well-being, and social safety. Groenewegen, van den Berg, de Vries, Verheij. 2006
- Urban Nature Benefits: Psycho-Social Dimensions of People and Plants. K. Wolfe, Center for Urban Horticulture.November 1998
- Urban Space and Public Health. Liverpool John Moores University Centre for Public Health. 2010
Growth
NEW! AND A MUST-READ: It's time to update the definition of smart growth by Kaid Benfield, Natural Resources Defense Council
- An Inquiry into the Promise and Prospects of Smart Growth. Gerrit Jan-Knaap, University of Maryland Center for Smart Growth Research and Education. 2002
- Requiem for Smart Growth. Gerrit Jan-Knaap, University of Maryland Center for Smart Growth Research and Education. 2006
- Commentary published in Environmental Practice "Post-Growthism, From Smart Growth to Sustainable Development." Daniel Warner. 2006
- Economic Policy for Sustainable Development vs. Greedy Growth and Preservationism. Majah-Leah Ravago,a James Roumasset a and Arsenio Balisacanb. University of Hawaii. Working paper. Please Google for final. 2009
- Maryland Sustainable Growth Commission, 2010
- Montgomery County Zoning Advisory Panel Members, part of the Zoning Re-Write Project, 2010
- Study on the relationship between growth and prosperity in the 100 largest metropolitan U.S. areas. Fodor & Associates, 2010.
- Ten principles for smart growth in 2010 and beyond. By Kaid Benfield, December 13, 2010
Land Cover and Watersheds
- Chesapeake Bay Watershed Land Cover Data Series 1984, 1992, 2001, and 2006: US Geological Survey slides
- Montgomery County Green Infrastructure Master Plan (early presentation)
Low Impact Development
Ordinances (See specific tree ordinances and examples below.)
- Guidelines for Developing Urban Forest Practice Ordinances. Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development
- Sacramento's Parking Lot Shade Ordinance: Environmental and economic costs of compliance. McPherson, Landscape and Urban Planning. 2001
- Canopy Ordinances. USDA Forest Service
- Urban Tree Conservation, a White Paper on Local Ordinance Approaches. Nichols, 2007
Sidewalks
- Casey Trees Sidewalks Fact Sheet
- Casey Trees, Tree Space Design Report. 2008
- Department of Transportation Issue Brief: Sidewalks Promote Walking. 2004
- PEDSAFE Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System. Recommended Guidelines and Priorities for Sidewalks and Walkways
- Standards for Planting and Preservation of Trees on Site Plan Projects, Arlington County, VA. 2002
- Urban Design to Accommodate Trees: Sidewalk Solutions. Gilman, University of Florida, 2002
Stormwater Management, including Trees and Forests in Stormwater Management
- American Forests Citigreen Analysis Tool. Shows how tree cover reduces stormwater runoff.
- Chesapeake Watershed Forum: Urban Tree Canopy Goals. Donald C. Outen, AICP. 2006 (includes Baltimore County program information)
- Facts on stormwater retention and best practices
- Growing Large Urban Trees for Stormwater Management. Presentation by the Kestrel Design Group, 2010.
- Is All Your Rain Going Down the Drain? Look to Bioretainment; Trees are a Solution (Center for Urban Forest Research)
- Maryland Stormwater Management Design Manual
- Montgomery County National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit
- New York City to curb runoff with blue and green roofs (Reuters, Sept. 28, 2010)
- Stormwater, Trees, and the Urban Environment A Comparative Analysis of Conventional Street Tree Pits and Stormwater Tree Pits for Stormwater Management in Ultra Urban Environments. March 2009
- Trees, the Oldest New Thing in Stormwater Management. Stormwater, the Journal for Surface Water Professionals. March-April 2002.
- Urban Trees and Stormwater Infiltration. Science Daily article. 2008
Case Studies
- Baltimore County Forest Sustainability Study
- Maryland's Forest Conservation Act Effect on Land Development, State Department of Natural Resources (under Gov. Ehrlich administration)
- McKenney Hills Case Study, Silver Spring, MD: case study of conflicts between stormwater management and tree save
- Urban trees: Charlotte, NC
- Urban trees: Salem, OR
General Information on Montgomery County
Laws
Planning and Building Tools
- Amenity Trees: Defining Concepts in Use. Coder, 2004
- American Planning Association (APA) urban forestry tools. A summary of APA offerings.
- Conserving Habitat Through the Federal Farm Bill: A Guide for Land Trusts and Landowners
- Guidelines for Developing Tree Ordinances, from International Society of Arborculture
- How to Conserve Natural Resources on Construction Sites, Georgia Forestry Commission
- Managing Stormwater for Urban Sustainability Using Trees and Structural Soils: A new space-saving infiltration BMP that mitigates runoff from paved areas. Susan Downing Day and Sarah B. Dickinson, Editors. 2008. (63-page manual)
- Preserving Trees in Construction Sites, Mississippi State Extension Service
- Stormwater Management Using Trees and Structural Soils to Improve Water Quality, from the Urban Forestry and Urban Horticulture programs at Virginia Tech, the Urban Horticulture Institute at Cornell University, and the Department of Land and Water Resources at the University of California at Davis.
- Urban Forestry Manual, International Society or Arborculture
- Urban Forestry, Trees and Construction
- Urban Forest Management Tool (UFMT). A new online tool that can be used by anyone managing a large population of trees in or near urban areas. Project of the California Urban Forest Council and the Inland Urban Forest Council. 2010
- Watershed Forestry Resource Guide. From the Partnership for Watershed Protection and the U.S. Forest Service.
Press Releases
Conservation Montgomery Press Releases
- July 27, 2010 -- Conservation Montgomery Launched
- July 28, 2010 -- Environmental Site Design Bill Approved by the Council
Relevant Press Releases from Other Organizations
- November 29, 2010 -- Release on environmental award for Brightwell Crossings development in Poolesville, MD
- November 23, 2010 -- Sen. Cardin's press release for a wind energy plan
- April 2010 -- County Council Honors 40 Environmentalists Who Made a Difference in 40 Years on Earth Day
- June 2010 -- Montgomery County’s New Planning Board Chair
- July 2010 -- Washington Post Article: Spending, taxes are focus of Montgomery primaries
- Link to Montgomery County Council Press Releases
Archived News and Photos
- News
- Earth Day 2011 Photos
- 2011 Maryland Legislative Summary from the Maryland League of Conservation Voters
Reports and Other Publications
Climate Impacts
- Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States, 2009 U.S. Global Change Research Program report
- National Capital Region Climate Report, from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, November 12, 2008
- National Capital Region: Best Practices and Policies to Reduce Greenhouse Gases, from the Metropolitan Council of Governments, February 2008
- Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for Local, Regional, and State Governments
Environmental Impacts
Environmental Site Design
- Implementing Environmental Site Design in Montgomery County. November 2010. 304-page report summarizes how the County's codes, regulations, programs and policies may need to be updated to allow the use of Environmental Site Design.
Forests and Trees
- Maryland National-Capital Parks and Planning Commission Forest Conservation Task Force Report, 2007
- No Net Loss of Forests Task Force Report, 2009
- Sustaining America's Urban Trees and Forests: A Forest on the Edge Report. USDA, 2010
Green Economy and Green Jobs
Offshore Wind Energy
Pedestrian Safety
- Residents' Guide to Creating Safe and Walkable Communities from the Federal Highway Administration
- Safe Kids USA Latest Trends in Child Pedestrian Safety, a Five-Year Review
- Safe Kids USA Distracted Drivers in School Zones National Report
- Stepping Out: Mature Adults, Be Healthy, Walk Safely from the National Highway Transportation Safety Admininstration
Regional
Sustainable Development
Sustainable Transportation
- Backgrounder: The Hidden Health Costs of Transportation. American Public Health Association
- Climate Change and Bicycling. League of American Bicyclists study of how cycling advocates can play a role in climate plans.
- Here Comes the Neighborhood. Article on walkable neighborhoods from The Atlantic Monthly. 2010
- The Short Trip with Big Impacts: Walking, Biking and Climate Change. Rails to Trails Conservancy
Testimony
2010
- Greenwich Forest Historic Designation, Sept. 28, 2010 before Montgomery County Council
- Testimony before the Montgomery County Planning Board on Falklands North, Nov. 17, 2010
- Testimony before the Montgomery County Council on Council Bill 53-10 to amend the Forest Conservation Law, Nov. 23, 2010
Tree Ordinances and Laws -- Examples from other jurisdictions
- Alameda County, CA ordinance
- Arlington County, VA
- Arlington County, VA. Standards for Preservation of Trees on Site Plan Projects
- Baltimore County, MD Forest Sustainability Strategy
- City of Charlottesville, VA Trees Best Practices Manual
- City of Lacey, WA Urban Forest Management Plan
- City of Rockville, MD
- City of Takoma Park, MD tree program
- City of Takoma Park ordinance
- Dorchester County, SC ordinance
- Fairfax County, VA ordinance
- Forsythe County, GA ordinance
- Fulton County, GA ordinance
- Gaithersburg, MD Tree Manual
- Georgia collection of tree ordinances from the Georgia Urban Forest Council
- Gwinnett County, GA ordinance
- Harris County, TX landscape regulations for street trees
- Los Angeles County street tree maintenance
- Marin County, CA ordinance
- Marin County, CA tree removal fact sheet
- Maryland Tree Laws
- Miami-Dade County, FL tree removal permit
- Prince Georges County, MD guidelines
- San Mateo County, CA heritage tree removal ordinance
- Santa Cruz, CA tree preservation guidelines
- Sarasota County, FL ordinances
- Town of Chevy Chase, MD ordinance
- Washington, D.C. Urban Forest Preservation Act of 2002
Surveys and Questionnaires
Conservation Montgomery Surveys and Questionnaires
- 2010 Montgomery County Candidates Questionnaires on Environmental and Community Quality of Life Issues
- Taking the Pulse of the Community -- Survey of How Montgomery County Residents Rated the Environment and Quality of Life in 2007 and 2010
Polls, surveys and questionnaires Produced by Other Organizations
- Analysis of polling: Stanford University study showing that opinion polls underestimate Americans' concern about the environment
- Economic Growth vs. Environment, Harris Poll. 2010
- Pew Research Center poll showing little change in public opinions about global warming and growing political divide on energy issues
- Quality of Life: The Gallup 2009 Maryland Well-Being Index