Providence kicks off campaign to plant 40,000 trees
12:05 PM Wed, Oct 01, 2008 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE -- Plant a tree, grow your property value: That was part of the mayor's message at today's launch of a campaign to plant 40,000 more trees in Providence by 2020. The effort will make 500 trees of various species available for purchase for $55 to $75. Trees 2020, as the campaign is called, aims to give residental and small commercial property owners the chance to buy trees at top nurseries at a third of the cost so they may plant them on their property, Mayor David N. Cicilline's office said in a statement. Representatives of the campaign will bring the details to neighborhoods using Trees 2020 brochures. Tree Team members will wear blue T-shirts bearing the words "Trees 2020. Radio advertisements will also air. "It is easy to see the beauty that a fuller tree canopy can add to our city, but planting a tree allows more than just beauty to grow," Cicilline said in a statement. "Trees can grow property values; provide shade for our residents to enjoy, and a place for our kids to play. The Providence Parks Department and Groundwork Providence kicked off the campaign, Trees 2020, at City Hall. Planting trees can "help everyone save on energy costs by blocking blustery winter winds and simmering summer sun, and they have a profound effect on the health of our environment by reducing our carbon footprint and replenishing the amount of oxygen in the air," the mayor said. Groundwork Providence executive director Clint Lank said that once a property owner takes interest in a tree, a Tree Team member will visit the property to help choose the right species of tree for the space and to advise on how best to plant and care for it. Fall and spring are prime tree planting seasons, city forester Doug Still said. "We have 500 trees of many species and sizes available for purchase at $55 and $75, a great deal. Additionally, the Parks Department will be planting more than 300 street trees through the Providence Neighborhood Planting Program and other City programs," he said in the statement. The city is encouraging people to register any newly planted tree on the Trees 2020 Web site to be counted toward the goal of 40,000 more trees. Registered trees will also be counted as part of the city's contribution to the United Nations' goal of planting 1 billion trees worldwide. Providence's project is paid for by the Helen Walker Raleigh Tree Care Trust of the Rhode Island Foundation. For information, go to www.trees2020.org or call (401) 351-6440. 
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$55 to $75? Is that the standard 'government discount'? The Arbor Day Foundation will give you 10 trees (oak, blue spruce, dogwood, other flowering trees) when you join with a $10 membership. Do the math. Or just plant your own maple with one of the million 'noses' that settle everywhere (they seem to particularly like privet hedges.) Or even break down and spend $20 on a tree from your local Ann & Hope Garden Center or Home Depot.
Anyway, how can anybody plant a tree in his yard when the whole city is paved, thanks to the foresight of our planning department and laws prohibiting overnight parking?
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