City will use funding to plant over 950 new trees
Press release
The City of Batavia is a recipient of a $758,950.00 grant for Ash Tree Management in Disadvantaged Communities. The award comes from Governor, Kathy Hochul’s, 2024 State of the State commitment to plant 25 million trees by 2033 and recent commitments through the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and other New York State investments to cultivate greener, healthier communities.
The selected projects represent a collaborative effort between local governments, nonprofit organizations, and community groups to create more equitable and resilient urban forests in the face of increased storms and extreme heat driven by climate change. Among the funded projects are initiatives to engage with the public in tree planting and stewardship efforts, increase tree canopy in public open space, and increase or expand planting along roadways in disadvantaged communities.
The grants are administered through DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, which works to increase public awareness of the importance of trees and helps communities to create healthy forests while enriching quality of life for residents.
Funding for this grant is made available through the state allocation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The USDA Forest Service is allocating this funding to support projects in disadvantaged communities to increase and maintain a healthy urban canopy and equitable access to trees and the benefits they provide.
The City of Batavia will use grant funds to execute a maintenance plan for street trees, to preserve healthy trees by removing diseased and dying trees, and planting new trees. Trees play a critical role in the well-being of our City on many levels. The funding will be used to remove 72 trees, conduct maintenance on 373 trees, and plant over 950 new trees. The City is also committed to creating a tree board and updating the tree maintenance plan.
“The DEC’s Urban and Community Forestry Ash Tree Management Grant provides essential funds for maintaining and growing our urban forest. This grant will enable us to remove blighted ash trees, maintain existing ones, and plant nearly 1,000 new trees. Urban forests are vital, offering beauty, shade, and a natural refuge. This investment enhances our neighborhoods and helps create a more vibrant community for today and into the future,” Eugene Jankowski, City of Batavia Council President.