The Eastern Red Cedar tree has been determined to be the most viable naturally occurring bioengineering resource that is available in sufficient quantities to be of value for use a tree revetment for streambank stabilization and the control of erosion on these streambanks. The control of the loss of soil from these streambanks improves the quality of the water in Kentucky’s streams, which is an enhancement for the production of livelihood of fish populations, and reduces the amount of the amount of soil which may accumulate in streambeds.

The harvesting of the Eastern Red Cedar from the rights-of-ways is valuable to the Cabinet in that it is now a valuable bioengineering resource for stream revetments where it once was only a naturally occurring problem woody plant that was encroaching into the clear zone on many highway routes. This agreement allows trees that are in areas where they are encroaching to be utilized as tree revetments in streambank stabilization projects rather than being converted into wood chips or burned as debris.