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Middletown Park Board eyes $300,000 urban forestry grant, schedules Earth Day planting
Summary
At its Feb. 10 meeting the Middletown Park Board reviewed a $300,000 Urban Forestry Grant that staff said will fund a citywide tree inventory and planting in designated census tracts, set April 26 as the city’s Earth Day date and discussed an Arbor Day tree-planting the day before.
The Middletown Park Board on Feb. 10 discussed plans to use an Urban Forestry Grant and local funds to plant trees, perform a citywide tree inventory and move Earth Day activities to an alternate site because of a conflicting lacrosse tournament.
Board member Doris Roberts said, “We’ve set the date for Earth Day. It will be April 26,” and described plans to hold an Arbor Day tree-planting the day before and a citywide cleanup on Saturday. Roberts said the board is coordinating with city staff Scott and Charlie, and with local donors including Pilot Chemical, to place small shade trees near playgrounds, shelters and parking areas.
Why it matters: Board members said the grant and inventory would help target tree planting to areas that meet program eligibility and to neighborhoods with lower tree canopy, and would fund both planting and a follow-up assessment that could guide removals and pruning.
Key details
- Grant size and uses: Meeting discussion identified a $300,000 Urban Forestry Grant. Board members described a proposed breakdown discussed at the meeting of $150,000 for a citywide tree assessment, and three $50,000 allotments for planning, pruning and tree removal, respectively. The board estimated the planting portion could support roughly 125 trees, though exact planting counts depend on final budgeting and species selection.
- Eligibility and geography: The grant requires planting in designated census tracts. Roberts said the grant’s eligible tracts cover “most of the city, not all of it,” and that staff will map suitable public-property locations, including boulevards and parks.
- Inventory and RFP: Staff is preparing a request for proposals for a citywide tree assessment that will inventory trees on public property, record species and trunk measurements and GPS-locate specimens. Roberts said the assessment will likely take most of a year to complete and could identify removals or pruning needs concentrated in disadvantaged census tract areas; areas outside those tracts would be expected to seek separate funding for removals or maintenance.
- Local planting and volunteers: Roberts described plans for small group plantings (she mentioned buying 5-gallon trees priced about $50–$75 each) for a pilot Arbor Day event. She said she is working to open a nursery account with a local supplier and to recruit donors to cover planting costs.
- Coordination and technical assistance: An Odnr (state) representative has been meeting with staff and volunteers to advise on species selection and matching new plantings to existing canopy. The state rep will help staff and volunteers identify species and exact planting locations that complement existing boulevard and park plantings.
- Outreach and recognition: The Park Board discussed a Tree City USA awards program invitation in April and options for staff and board attendance; the board also discussed promoting volunteer tree-planting and cleanup activities tied to Earth Day.
Next steps
Staff will finalize the RFP for the citywide tree assessment, continue coordination with the state forestry representative on species and site selection, and return to the board with mapped eligible sites and a more precise planting schedule and budget estimate.
