The Maryland Departments of Natural Resources and Environment celebrated planting more than one million trees — a milestone in the state’s 5 Million Trees initiative.The millionth tree was planted in the fall in Western Maryland, according to Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) data. The state saw significant increases in tree planting from 2023 to 2024, with a rate increase of more than 100%.“Maryland made an ambitious commitment with the 5 Million Trees Initiative, and we’re so excited to already have 1 million trees in the ground,” said Josh Kurtz, secretary for Department of Natural Resources. “These new trees will help improve the health of our communities, sequester carbon, purify our air and water, and aid in bolstering wildlife populations. These tree plantings are an investment in Maryland’s future. Thanks to the hard work of staff at the department and partners, we’re on track to meet the state’s lofty goal.”The 5 Million Trees Initiative was established by the Maryland Tree Solutions Now Act of 2021. It established the directive that 5 million native trees should be planted on the state’s public and private lands by 2031. Three years into the project, 20% of the trees are planted. At that rate, the program is well on track to meet its goal, according to J.T. Bowers, deputy director of the Maryland Forest Service.“Marylanders planted twice as many trees last year as the two years prior, including nearly 60,000 in underserved urban areas,” said Serena McIlwain, secretary for the Department of the Environment. “There is great power and efficiency in working together, which is what our agencies of state government are doing. Trees are so important to reaching our climate goals because they capture carbon from the atmosphere. We are thankful to all of the land owners, conservation groups, and landscaping companies who have partnered with us to make our state greener.”The tree plantings are coordinated by the Maryland Department of the Environment, and tracked on its 5 Million Trees Tracking Dashboard website. The dashboard tool does not yet reflect all the plantings from the fall.DNR plantings account for two out of every three trees planted for the initiative. It has planted 673,000 trees since 2021, and 346,000 in 2024 alone, not including this fall’s data.“We’re starting to hit our stride with the number of trees we’re able to plant,” Bowers said. “DNR’s outreach specialists have done great work engaging new partners and building their networks to share the benefits of trees across the state. We’re finding that when we show up with the financial and technical resources, groups that previously wouldn’t have considered their property for tree planting are now eager to participate in the initiative.”A total of 57,799 trees have been planted in underserved urban areas, which is a major part of the effort. The initiative includes a focus on providing urban areas with the benefits trees can give, like shade, clean air, and wildlife.In addition to serving urban areas, the initiative aims to help the state meet its climate goals, supporting Maryland’s 2030 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act Plan for a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2031. The trees do this by absorbing more carbon than they release, reducing heat in city areas, and acting as buffers near waterways to help reduce pollutants that can enter the water.Individuals can participate in this effort by planting their own trees and plotting the locations where they planted them online. They can also participate in an incentive program or use a coupon from DNR to get $25 off the purchase price of a tree from participating nurseries and garden centers. They can also donate through the Gift of Trees program.