Medford committee opens discussion on volunteer tree-planting program; staff say coordinator and budget needed

The Public Works and Facilities Committee on Jan. 21 discussed a proposed resolution to explore allowing Medford residents to volunteer to plant city trees and to consider a pilot program.

Chair Callahan opened the item, noting the city "loses an estimated 500 or more trees each year and plants less than 250 trees each year." The resolution (Paper 24-493) asked DPW Commissioner Tim McGivern to discuss whether residents could be allowed to help plant city trees.

"The biggest challenge that I would have with that program is a volunteer coordinator," McGivern said. "Someone to coordinate the work, to document the work, to coordinate and interact with the tree warden for that work." He said the city currently has "only 1 full time staff member dedicated to our trees, the tree warden," and that a coordinator would likely be a part-time budget item if the program were to be run effectively in-house.

Councilors and commenters suggested partnering with existing nonprofit efforts. Councilor Lozaro said she had received information from the planning department about Trees Medford, a nonprofit that offers free trees to eligible neighborhoods. Amanda Bowen, a public commenter, told the committee that the Mystic River Watershed Association had a grant covering multiple cities to support citizen tree plantings and that a contact there — Corinna Ramos — had been in touch with city staff about money for about 40 trees and support for citizen planting. "They have money for trees," Bowen said, and she noted the grant money "needs to be spent this year."

Committee members identified next steps including (1) assessing community capacity and nonprofit partners, (2) evaluating a pilot planting in a single neighborhood, and (3) confirming whether the mayor’s office would include a part-time volunteer coordinator in the next budget. McGivern suggested an alternative pathway in which an outside nonprofit proposes plantings and the city reviews locations and approves them rather than the DPW operating the volunteer effort directly.

No formal vote was taken on Paper 24-493 at the meeting. Committee members asked staff to return with a recommendation on whether the program should be run in-house with budgeted coordination or facilitated through nonprofit partners, and with possible pilot sites and timing.

Ending: Councilors said they would pursue follow-up conversations with Trees Medford, Mystic River Watershed Association and other local groups and directed staff to coordinate next steps with the mayor’s office and the tree warden.