New Bedford is on Track to Plant 500 Street Trees this year

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New Bedford’s Public Infrastructure Commissioner Zeb Arruda and Mayor Jon Mitchell announced yesterday that the City is on track to plant more than 500 street trees this year exceeding the annual goal first set by Mayor Mitchell in 2014.

Under Mayor Mitchell’s leadership New Bedford has implemented a robust urban forestry program to build its tree population citywide and improve the urban environment. “Trees provide natural shade, slow traffic speeds, add value to adjacent homes and businesses, absorb groundwater and filter the air among other things. The benefits of street trees in urban environments like New Bedford are well documented and manifold and that’s why it is so important that we meet our annual tree planting goal,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell.

new-bedford-is-on-track-to-plant-500-street-trees2City Arborist Chancery Perks who leads New Bedford’s tree planting and maintenance efforts said his crews are currently working their way through the city’s second planting season this year. “We had a really successful spring planting season putting more than 300 new trees in the ground. Now we are pushing our way through the fall planting season to meet that 500 goal,” Perks said.

Perks also said he is working to ensure both proper placement and diversity among the new street trees planted. Among the varieties being planted this fall are tulip-trees, flowering cherries, London Plane trees, and assorted Maples.
The Department of Public Infrastructure (DPI) oversees tree planting across the city and uses sophisticated mapping technology to add each new tree planted to the city’s digital inventory of street trees, logging each new tree’s precise location, species and condition. Commissioner Arruda said, “In addition to planting new trees we also trim healthy trees, remove dead or diseased trees and this digital inventory provides us with important record data we can use in completing the care and maintenance aspects of our work.”

In addition, more than four dozen street trees have been planted through the City’s Adopt-A-Tree Program which invites residents to make a $200 tax deductible contribution to the City of New Bedford which enables DPI to plant a tree on their street. The resident may select the species of their choice from a pre-approved list of tree types which DPI then plants per the resident’s direction. Any resident interested in the Adopt-A-Tree Program may contact DPI at (508) 979-1550 for more information.

About Michael Silvia

Served 20 years in the United States Air Force. Owner of New Bedford Guide.

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