Conservation district pens letter to legislators

TIOGA COUNTY — The Tioga County Soil & Water Conservation District recently penned a letter to legislators inviting them to a groundbreaking ceremony planting native trees. It reads as follows:

Dear Legislators,
In 2025, the Upper Susquehanna Coalition received notification of an award from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Community Reforestation grant. As a partner on the grant, the Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District is coordinating reforestation plantings in several locations throughout Tioga County, with a focus on municipally owned lots and non-profit owned marginal agricultural fields.
Please join the Upper Susquehanna Coalition, Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District, and other partner organizations at the Carantouan Greenway on Sept. 22 at 10 a.m. to kick the plantings off through a groundbreaking ceremony. We will be planting 10 large stock native trees together on site. The Carantouan Greenway is located at Shepard Road in Waverly, NY 14892. Following the ceremony, an additional 155 woody plants will be installed by contractors later in the month. This project will increase canopy cover, improve air and water quality, enhance biodiversity, reduce stormwater runoff, and sequester carbon.
Reforestation efforts, such as this one, align with municipal priorities and will contribute to the goals of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan.
The Upper Susquehanna Coalition is a coalition of 22 Soil and Water Conservation Districts throughout New York and Pennsylvania. Included in this coalition is the Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District. Collectively, their geography makes up the headwaters of Chesapeake Bay, a National Treasure. Their goal is to protect and improve water quality and natural resources in the Upper Susquehanna River Basin with the involvement of citizens and agencies through planning, education, coordination, funding, project implementation, and advocating for our water resources. They strive to accomplish this mission through a team approach, with teams focused on key watershed-wide efforts working both independently and collaboratively to meet our goals. We appreciate your consideration and hope to see you September 22 at the Carantouan Greenway.
Sincerely,
Wendy Walsh
District Manager
USC Watershed Coordinator and USC Board Member
Tioga County Soil and Water Conservation District