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2-Year Planting Goals Met at State Land Decker and Augusta Hill

The Wallkill River Watershed Management Group and The Nature Conservancy are proud to announce the completion of their reforestation effort along State Land Decker and State Land Augusta Hill. Both organizations worked diligently throughout the course of the two-year grant period to plant over 5,100 containerized/bare root trees and shrubs in addition to 2,000 livestakes at their two project locations. This project will help to improve the long-term water quality of the Paulins Kill by controlling erosion along the banks, shading the river to prevent drastic temperature fluctuations, and providing in-stream habitat for fish and aquatic insects. The reforestation will also help to suppress invasive reed canary grass over time. The natural enemy of reed canary grass is shade so as the trees mature, their canopies will produce enough shade to prevent the invasive grass from thriving throughout the floodplain.

Additionally, during the grant period, the WRWMG and The Nature Conservancy organized planting events for dozens of local volunteers to assist with the planting effort, helping residents connect to environmental stewardship opportunities in their home county and providing them a sense of local ownership of the project. The WRWMG is excited to continue to monitor the health of the trees over time as the reforestation corridor along the Sussex Branch Trail continues to expand in the coming years.