NYS has opened a program to help protect tributaries and properties that feed into the Genesee River watershed. The entire Honeoye watershed is included in this program. Any homeowner is free to apply and request trees and or shrubs to help protect your property and creeks from erosion.

Free Trees for Streamside Properties in the Genesee River Basin

Free native trees and shrubs are now available to streamside property owners in the Genesee River Basin. Trees and shrubs planted along streambanks provide many important ecosystem services. They help filter nutrients and sediment out of runoff before these pollutants can reach streams. The roots help stabilize streambanks, making them less prone to erosion and more resilient against flooding. They provide habitat for fish and wildlife species and even help reduce stream temperatures, which is necessary for many fish species. Planting trees along streamsides is an inexpensive way to protect our water quality, our fish and wildlife, and our property!

New York State is now helping property owners plant more trees on streamsides. It has just expanded its Trees for Tribs program to include 4 priority areas in the Genesee River Basin, including the Oatka Creek subwatershed, Upper Black Creek subwatershed (upstream of Byron), Honeoye Creek subwatershed, and the main stem of the Genesee River from Mt Morris to Scottsville. The program provides free native trees and shrubs, tree tubes (to protect against deer), and planting design services to property owners. In turn, the property owners plant the trees and shrubs (often with the help of friends or volunteers), water the new plants, and agree to protect them from cutting or mowing.

We have the goal of planting 15,000 trees in these Genesee River priority areas in 2016!

If you own property in one of the priority areas and have a stream on your property, you are eligible for free trees and shrubs. To find out more information on the Genesee River Basin Trees for Tribs Program, please contact Kim Falbo at (585) 786-5070 ext 121 orkfalboswcd@gmail.com.

Visit the Genesee River Basin Trees for Tribs website at http://www.wcswcd.org/index.php/tree-shrub/

Color Brochure describing the program---> T4T_brochure.pdf

Listing of the trees and shrubs available  ----> Genesee_Basin_T4T_tree_list_participants.pdf

Application for the free trees ----> Genesee_River_T4T_Application_2015.pdf

This is an excellent opportunity to help you protect your property and the watershed.