Putnam County Hosts Annual Seedling Sale

From Putnam County: Putnam County Soil and Water Conservation District’s Annual Seedling Sale is a long-time tradition to promote the planting of trees, shrubs, flowers and groundcovers. “ I know it’s the middle of winter”, said Lauri Taylor, District Manager, “but why not get excited about what you can plant when Spring arrives!”

Researchers from the US Forest Service have calculated that the annual cost to keep a city tree alive is $19. For every dollar spent, they say, we reap $5.82 in benefits – a pretty good investment. And yet, they say, we’re not taking advantage of those benefits.
National Arbor Day Foundation has also brought attention to “The Power of Trees”.

• A shade tree absorbs 10 pounds of air pollution each year including 4 pounds of ozone and 3 pounds of particulates.
• By the time a tree reaches maturity, it produces 5 pounds of pure oxygen every day, enough to keep a family of 4 breathing.
• Trees reduce the effects of car exhausts and industrial emissions by “sequestering” carbon (locking it within their wood). A single tree can eliminate 90 pounds of carbon, or 330 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air each year.
• One shade tree can reduce air conditioning bills by 10%. This also reduces the need for new power plants.
• One shade tree can intercept 760-4000 gallons of rainfall annually, depending on the species. This reduces runoff of polluted storm water and can affect the size of drain pipes and retention ponds in new development.
• One tree can add at least 1% to the sale of a $100,000 house each year when annualized over a 40 year period.

With all of this in mind, “Putnam County is excited to offer a great selection in our 2017 Annual Seedling Sale”, said Lauri Taylor. All of the selections are offered at reasonable prices to ensure every landowner can afford to support this worthwhile conservation program. For the first time ever we are offering apple and pear trees but have a very limited supply so order soon.

Please visit: www.putnamcountyny.com/keepputnamgreen to see all that is offered this year and consider making a contribution to a healthier planet by planting a tree.

Image courtesy of Putnam County