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Pharr accepts $1.18 million Texas A&M Forest Service grant to plant about 6,000 trees
Summary
The Pharr City Commission voted to accept a three-year, $1,180,000 Community Greening Transformation grant from the Texas A&M Forest Service to plant and distribute roughly 6,000 native trees, fund workshops, and host community planting events targeted at flood- and heat-vulnerable areas.
The Pharr City Commission voted to accept a $1,180,000 Community Greening Transformation grant from the Texas A&M Forest Service to fund a three-year tree-planting and education program aimed at heat- and flood-vulnerable areas.
City staff member Bernie Vargas told the commission the grant will support planting and distributing about 6,000 native trees across the city over three years, and will include community planting events, giveaways and workshops on tree maintenance. "This highly competitive grant is designed to help communities like ours and expand our tree canopy growth," Vargas said.
Carlos Garcia Patlan, regional community ecologist for the Texas A&M Forest Service, told the commission the agency will provide technical assistance and training for the project. "We are a resource to you all. Please use us for any technical assistance with these projects, for any advice, and for trainings for the community," Garcia Patlan said.
Vargas said staff used GIS analysis to target areas with the greatest need for shade and stormwater mitigation and noted additional collaboration with local partners including the parks and recreation department, the grants office, Keep Pharr Beautiful and Schoolyard Forest. Commission discussion included praise for the partnership and the visible community benefit of increased green space.
A commissioner moved to approve resolution 2025 to accept the grant; the motion was seconded and carried with an affirmative voice vote. The parks and recreation department was named in the meeting as the leading city department to implement the work and to coordinate planting events and community outreach.
The commission did not specify exact locations for all plantings during the meeting; staff said locations will be identified using GIS targeting and community input. The grant includes funding for outreach and long-term maintenance training, which city staff said is intended to improve the survival and long-term canopy benefits of the plantings.
The commission accepted the award by resolution; staff will return with implementation details and scheduling for public planting events and workshops.
