Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Urban Forestry Grant topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Leesburg staff to seek state forestry grant to plant 200–300 street trees along King Street and Ida Lee
Summary
Town staff and the Tree Commission discussed applying to a Virginia Department of Forestry grant to plant street trees — likely 200–300 trees — and decided to prioritize visible street-tree sites over riparian plantings while they clarify allowable grant uses with the state representative.
Leesburg Tree Commission members said town staff will pursue a Virginia Department of Forestry grant to fund street-tree plantings in corridors near Ida Lee and North King Street, with staff estimating roughly 200–300 trees could be planted if funding and site constraints allow.
The commission discussed why street trees were now the preferred focus for the grant application rather than a combined riparian-and-street approach. Town staff said they will meet with the department of forestry to confirm whether a single application can include multiple project “prongs” (riparian, street, outreach) or whether separate applications are required. The commission’s mapping work and a draft budget were described as “in progress.”
Commission chair and members framed the grant as a visual, high-impact option that would make tree-planting more noticeable to residents. Melissa Westbrook, listed on the agenda as the town staff representative, said the project would likely require coordination with power and utility companies in places where invasive “tree-of-heaven” trees occupy rights-of-way, and that some planting areas may require utility or permitting work before trees can be installed. Frank and other commission members identified specific target stretches on North King Street, near the Catholic church and the Ida Lee approach, and said medians and linear planting strips were likely candidates.
Why it matters: the commission said street trees are more visible to residents than riparian plantings and thus likely to advance the town’s Chesapeake Bay initiative outreach goals. Commission members also flagged upcoming large transportation and fiber-optic projects that alter medians and shoulders and could affect which sites remain plantable.
Key details and next steps: the commission has a scheduled meeting with a Department of Forestry representative (identified in the meeting as “Laura”) to clarify allowable uses and application structure. Staff will finish mapping, assemble a budget, and circulate the materials to commission members before submitting the application to the town manager’s office for approval. No formal appropriation or grant award decision was recorded at the Tree Commission meeting; any award would come back to the Town Council for approval if the grant is approved and requires a multi-year contract or town match.
Commissioners stressed that planting plans may require utility coordination and possibly removal or treatment of invasive trees before new plantings can be installed. The town’s fiber project (mentioned during the meeting) and state road work were cited as examples of nearby construction that could constrain planting or require design changes.
The commission did not take a formal vote to submit the grant application during this meeting; instead, members agreed to proceed with staff follow-up and to prioritize the street-tree component pending guidance from the Department of Forestry.
