Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories

Buffalo, Olmsted Parks Conservancy partner on tree removal & replanting thanks to DEC grant

Submitted

Wed, Feb 10th 2021 12:45 pm

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Urban and Community Forestry Program has awarded a $75,000 grant to support the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy’s ongoing ash management program. The City of Buffalo, as a supporting partner, will be planting replacement trees valued at $18,750 as a matching component of the grant. Buffalo is one of only six communities in all of Western New York to be selected, spotlighting the ongoing value of the city and conservancy’s partnership.

The removal portion of the program will focus on large, dead ash trees throughout the Buffalo Olmsted Park System. Since 2014, the conservancy has been devoted to this cause by investing in inoculations to treat over 300 specimen ash trees, removing dead trees and, in partnership with the city, has planted thousands of diverse tree species to replace those lost to emerald ash borer or other disease and disaster. Bids for removal services will be solicited by the conservancy, and the removals are anticipated to occur in late summer or early fall 2021.

DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos announced grant awards totaling $1.4 million for urban forestry projects across New York to help communities’ inventory, plant and maintain public trees. The grants are part of DEC’s urban and community forestry program, aimed to increase public awareness of urban tree values while helping communities develop and implement comprehensive tree management plans to enhance quality of life for residents. The urban forestry grants complement DEC's ongoing initiatives to address invasive species, climate change, environmental degradation, environmental justice and urban sprawl.

Only 38 projects from across New York were selected from a total of 154 applications, each ranked by cost effectiveness, lasting benefits, use of partnerships, inclusion of outreach and education, and support from local stakeholders. Over the past nine years, the state has funded more than $11.4 million in grants to support projects with a total value of more than $18.3 million.

For more information about DEC's program, visit DEC's website.

Hometown News

View All News