News

Troy gets $100G from state for tree inventory, management plan

Originally published by the Troy Record
November 2, 2017

TROY, N.Y. >> The city has been awarded two grants totaling $100,000 from the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Urban and Community Forestry Grants Program to complete a two-phase citywide urban forestry inventory & management plan.

Themoney will be used to inventory city-owned trees in order to develop a management plan to assist with decisions about maintenance, including invasive species infestations. The plan would also aid in the placement of site-appropriate tree species and reduce maintenance costs through appropriate decision-making.

“Urban forests offer a number of benefits to communities like Troy,” Mayor Patrick Madden said in a city news release. “They improve air quality, lower temperatures, absorb rainwater and, in some cases, help reduce crime. With the assistance of this important funding, the city and our community partners can collaborate on opportunities to improve our street trees, parks and green spaces for the benefit and enjoyment of our residents and future generations. ”

Community organizations participating in the development of the city’s Urban Forestry Inventory and Management Plan include Audubon NY, Capital Roots, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Rensselaer County, the Downtown Troy Business Improvement District, the Rensselaer County Land Trust, the Troy Boys and Girls Club, the Troy Rehabilitation & Improvement Program and the city’s Urban Forestry Advisory Board.

The city previously received a $25,000 DEC grant to support the planting of 100 trees throughout the city, a partnership with Capital Roots that has been underway since 2016.

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