Published: 11/1/2018 2:56:43 PM
The City of Greenfield and Town of Montague are about to receive hundreds of trees through a new Franklin Land Trust program.
A new grant from the U.S. Forest Service will allow the land trust to work with the two to plant more than 1,000 trees over the next three years. The program will offer trees to residents and businesses, replace dead or dying trees through neighborhoods and along downtown streets, and will provide trees to be planted on public land.
Tree planting will begin in the spring of 2019. Public meetings will be held in Greenfield and Montague in late 2018 or early 2019 so that residents can learn more about the project and provide suggestions.
The land trust, along with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, will work with Greenfield and Montague, their departments of public works, their tree committees and residents to launch the effort.
Trees in urban and suburban neighborhoods provide a multitude of benefits to the people who live near them. They improve air and water quality, reduce energy costs and increase the overall health and wellbeing of residents.
“This project will highlight the many benefits that trees bring to a city,” says Julie Coop, DCR urban and community forestry coordinator. “Trees will reduce heating and cooling costs, help to control storm water runoff and cool city streets on hot summer days.”
Volunteers, tree committee members and public works staff in Greenfield and Montague have already been working to plant more trees in recent years.
“This is an exciting opportunity for us to expand on the important work we have been doing to bring more trees to our neighborhoods and downtown streets,” says Paul Raskevitz, Greenfield DPW field superintendent and tree warden.
“This project will have a measurable, positive impact in Montague,” says Walter Ramsey, Montague town planner. “It will make our villages and downtown more beautiful and more energy efficient for generations to come.”
Not only will residents and businesses receive free trees, they can also get involved and help plant trees. “Engaging volunteers is a big part of this initiative,” says Rich Hubbard FLT Executive Director. “This is a tremendous opportunity for people to connect to their communities and nature by getting out and volunteering.”
Both the Greenfield Tree Committee and the Montague Tree Advisory Committee are seeking to build strong networks of volunteer tree stewards.
Contact your tree committee to learn how you can get involved in Greenfield at
www.greenfieldtreecommittee.org; or in Montague at
daviddetmold@gmail.com.
If you live in Greenfield and would like a free tree, contact the Greenfield Public Works Department at 413-772-1528. If you live in Montague and would like a free tree, contact the Montague Public Works Department at 413-863 2054.