Under the sponsorship of the Montour Run Watershed Association (MRWA), tree seedlings were recently installed on a heavily eroded stream bank of Montour Run. A total of approximately 200 dogwood, box elder, and willow seedlings were planted early in May by the Urban Tree Care Company on the west bank of the main trunk of Montour Run, near the Cliff Mine Road bridge crossing. MRWA members and Montour High School student volunteers have since become involved in the project, installing protective stakes and watering and mulching the fledgling trees. Dennis Pfeiffer and Pete Merther of the Moon-Robinson and Findlay-North Fayette Friends of the Montour Trail helped greatly by coordinating Trail access and maintenance operations and by making the mulching material available.

These plantings are a pilot project of Phase 2 of the Montour Run Stream Bank Stabilization Project, which was undertaken by MRWA in 2001 with ReclaimPA funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. As these trees mature, they will complement the earlier installation of rip-rap stone under Phase 1 of the project by further anchoring the soil on this steeply sloped stream bank section. Additional benefits will include the shading of the stream for improved fish habitat and shading of the bank to hold down overgrowths of the ever-present Japanese knotweed. Plantings will be added at other Montour Run stream bank locations in the near future using the remainder of the Stabilization Project funding.

- Stan Sattinger
Editor's note: In addition to his MTC involvement, Stan is founder and President of the MRWA.