Greening the Gateway Cities program kicks-off in Westfield

May 18, 2021 | Amy Porter
amyporter@thewestfieldnews.com

City officials join the Department of Conservation and Recreation May 14 for a ceremonial tree planting on Court Street in Westfield.
Reminder Publishing photo by Hope E. Tremblay

WESTFIELD – The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) is seeking city residents – particularly in the Environmental Justice neighborhoods of Ward 2 and 3 – to request free trees.

Over the next few years, approximately 2,400 trees will be planted in conjunction with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), under the Baker-Polito Administration’s Greening the Gateway Cities program.

On May 14, a ceremonial planting took place at 54 Court St. with DCR Urban Forester Sarah Greenleaf, Ward 3 Councilor Bridget Matthews-Kane, Ward 2 Councilor Ralph J. Figy, City Engineer Mark Cressotti, Tree Warden Scott Hathaway and Department of Conservation and Recreation staff.

Most of the plantings will be focused on repopulating street trees in Environmental Justice neighborhoods in Wards 2 and 3, which include areas with over 25 percent of residents who are low income, minority or non-English speaking, and in environmentally challenged areas.

Matthews-Kane said she is really happy about this project happening in Ward 3. She also has a friendly competition going with Figy on whose ward will have more trees planted.

Greenleaf said residents within the planting zone may request a tree to be planted on their property, by visiting maurbancanopy.org, which has information on the goals of the program and shows the different zones to be planted.

The Greening the Gateway Cities Program seeks to reduce energy use and flooding from stormwater runoff and improve the quality of life in selected cities, especially during the increasingly hot summers in Massachusetts, through the planting of thousands of trees. Trees have the ability to cool neighborhoods and reduce the “urban heat island” effect where large areas of pavement cause significantly hotter living conditions, according to program information.

Greenleaf, who is also managing the Greening the Gateway Cities program in Chicopee and Holyoke, said the DCR crew started last week, and has already planted 20 trees in Westfield, including eastern redbud, swamp white oak, pin oak, dawn redwood, several Hanna’s Heart (katsura trees), smaller variety and also full katsuras.

“Something we really focus on in this program is planting shade trees. The very essence of the program is to expand the urban canopy,” she said.

To learn whether a home is within the zone and eligible for a tree, visit the program website at maurbancanopy.org to determine eligibility, and to sign up. Residents may also leave a message for a call back from the Westfield program at 617-626-1473.

Once eligibility is determined, DCR crew members will visit the site, look at sun exposure, drainage and how close it is to the street, and consider which trees would be appropriate, Greenleaf said. Last year, when Westfield was accepted into the program, Hathaway said the DCR will purchase the trees and provide the labor for the plantings, amounting to an over a million dollar investment in the city.

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