Apply Now: Free Native Trees to Protect Stream Planting; Plastic Bag Ban

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
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Hudson RiverNet
News from the Hudson River Estuary Program

Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs: Apply Now for Spring Planting

A young woman wearing garden gloves plants a tree.Do you own or manage land along a stream? You can now apply to one of these two programs to receive free native plants to help reduce erosion and improve habitat along your stream.

Buffer in a Bag

Anyone who owns or manages at least 50 feet of land along a stream in New York is eligible to apply for a free bag of bare-root tree or shrub seedlings from DEC's Trees for Tribs Buffer in a Bag program. You will receive a bag of native plants in the mail. We are accepting applications through mid-February.  

Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs

For larger projects along the tributary streams in the Hudson River Estuary watershed that will use more than 60 plants, you can receive free native bare-root seedlings through the Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs program. Our staff can help you with a planting plan and work with your volunteers. 

Watch Trees for Tribs on DEC YouTube to see how the program works for landowners and land managers.

Applicants must complete an application, and if the project is selected, recruit volunteers for planting, and maintain the site after the planting is complete. The application deadline is March 1 for a spring planting. For more information about the program or to download an application, please visit DEC's Hudson Estuary Trees for Tribs website. 


Plastic Bag Ban Starts March 1: #BYOBagNY

Did you know New Yorkers use more than 23 billion plastic bags a year? That’s around 1,000 bags per person annually. When we improperly dispose them, plastic bags create pollution, and are often seen stuck in trees or floating in our waterways. They pose threats to fish and wildlife, clog machinery at recycling facilities, and litter the pristine outdoor places we love and enjoy spending time in with our friends and family.

Starting March 1, 2020, a new plastic bag waste reduction law will take effect in New York State, and your reusable bag should be in hand when going shopping. Whether you’re going to the grocery store, clothes shopping, or to a home improvement store, make sure to bring your reusable bags. You don’t need to wait until March 1st to take action! Start bringing your reusable bags to the store ahead of the ban to build a new habit. Remember, your reusable bag means conserving natural resources, creating less litter, and keeping New York beautiful for future generations.

Additionally, stores covered under the NYS Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Act will still be required to collect plastic bags and other film plastics from consumers for recycling. Film plastics include items such as bread bags and plastic wraps that come over cases of water, paper towels and other similar items. Consumers can help by continuing to recycle these items at participating retailers.

Questions on the upcoming plastic bag ban? E-mail plasticbags@dec.ny.gov.

Reusable bags in different sizes