Erie Insurance local office to donate 100 trees for Wayne Group Park riparian buffer; committee reviews $4,500 resolution

County parks staff told the Energy, Environment and Land Use Committee April 17 that a local Erie Insurance office plans to donate 100 trees to Northampton County for planting at Wayne Group Park.

Parks staff explanation: Brian Cope said the Erie Insurance local chapter, marking the company's 100th anniversary, contacted the county and offered to plant 100 trees in Wayne Group Park. Because the donor needs to route the gift through a nonprofit, the trees will be passed through Wildlands and planted on county property, Cope said. The plantings are planned for an area where the department has previously done riparian buffer plantings and agroforestry work.

Resolution and funding note: The committee packet referenced a resolution for $4,500 connected to the donation. Committee discussion confirmed the trees would supplement previous buffer work in the park. Parks staff did not present a final planting schedule at the meeting and no committee vote was recorded in the transcript.

Site context: Cope noted Wayne Group Park covers roughly 200 acres with a substantial agricultural component; he described the site as adjacent to significant regional logistics development and highlighted the importance of preserving farmland and buffer plantings that support water quality.

Next steps: Parks staff will work with Wildlands and the donor on delivery and planting logistics and will report back to the committee; the meeting record contains no final acceptance vote or planting timeline.