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Morristown Shade Tree Commission seeks $160,000 grant to plant 250 trees in Ward 2
Summary
Kristen Ace, chair of Morristown’s Shade Tree Commission, told the Town Council the commission will pursue a $160,000 grant to plant 250 trees in Ward 2, highlighted invasive-species guidance and recent vandalism to town trees, and asked the public to report damage.
Kristen Ace, chair of the Morristown Shade Tree Commission, told the town council Aug. 6 that the commission will partner with the Whippany River Watershed Action Committee to apply for a $160,000 grant aimed at filling 250 vacant tree sites in Ward 2.
Ace said the effort is a follow-up to a prior, larger $3,000,000 grant application that was not awarded, and that the current project will use a pass-through from the Arbor Day Foundation. She described recent work including poison-ivy treatments in Druid Park, Bud Park, Town Hall and Foote’s Pond and said invasive-species guidance is posted on the Shade Tree Commission page with a link to New Jersey’s “do not plant” list. "Butterfly bush, Japanese barberry, bamboo... these things are illegal to plant in our town, public and private," she said.
Ace reported vandalism affecting roughly 12 trees on Morris Street and an elm on Bridal and urged residents to report damage and to avoid unauthorized cutting. She also said the commission completed its 2024 planting list, has 17 tree wells in the business district and about 55 trees slated for Mill Street, and expects a planting bid to be issued in September. The commission plans to plant at least 15 white pines next fall to buffer sound from a nearby pickleball court.
The commission invited community participation at its next meeting on Aug. 20 and asked the council and residents to raise awareness about the town’s tree protections and proper trimming practices.
