CHESTERFIELD – The Township Environmental Commission will apply for several state grants for tree planting and maintenance in the township, Commission Chairman John Benton announced last week.
By:Vanessa S. Holt
CHESTERFIELD – The Township Environmental Commission will apply for several state grants for tree planting and maintenance in the township, Commission Chairman John Benton announced last week.
If approved, the grants could provide up to $40,000, enough to purchase and plant about 200 trees.
Targeted areas for planting include the elementary school, municipal building, and where new construction has occurred, said Mr. Benton.
The school building has not had many plantings in the past, he said, and additional shade could help the school conserve energy while maintaining a rural aesthetic.
A state tree-planting grant with an Oct. 31 deadline could provide $25,000 if the township agrees to provide $10,714 in matching services, said Mr. Benton. Those services could include wood chipping and tree removal and would not represent an additional cost to the township, he said.
"We’ve had no problem matching in-kind in the past," said Mr. Benton.
Another grant, with a Dec. 15 application deadline, could provide the township with $15,000 for tree planting. The Community Stewardship Incentive Program Grant (CSIP) could also be obtained at no cost to the municipality, said Mr. Benton.
The CSIP grant is available only to municipalities with a state-approved forest management plan. Chesterfield’s community forestry program fulfills that requirement, and previously received a $2,000 grant to help develop a tree maintenance plan in the township. Volunteers met with consultants to generate the plan, which prioritized removing hazardous trees and planting new ones, said Mr. Benton.
The state could award less than the full amount applied for.
Chesterfield Township may also qualify as a Tree City, U.S.A. municipality, said Mr. Benton. The national organization promotes planting and care of trees.
"It requires various components we already meet," said Mr. Benton. The township celebrates Arbor Day, established an environmental commission, and has a wide variety of tree species already in place.
Tree planting, care and removal, and conducting a street tree inventory are also necessary components for being designated a Tree City, U.S.A.
A level of spending amounting to $2 per capita per year also is required for the designation. This would mean about $6,000 for Chesterfield Township. This year’s shade tree budget is $2,000, he said, but the $6,000 does not have to be in cash. Work already done by municipal employees including leaf collection, recycling, chipping and mulching can all be considered part of the budget, Mr. Bender said.
The Environmental Commission expects to know whether or not the grants are approved by the time the 2001 budget is prepared.
Money received through the grants could help cover the cost of trees, planting and staking, said Mr. Benton. The total cost for acquiring and properly planting each tree is about $200 to $250.
Mayor Ed Conway said he was "very excited" about the possibility of the township receiving the grants.
"It falls in with our Master Plan, and the idea of preservation," he said. "It keeps that same attitude of respecting nature; it’s all part of the same vision."