Springfield to celebrate 2,000th tree planted as part of city program

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Springfield will be celebrating the planting of the 2,00th tree that was planted as part of the Greening the Gateway Cities Program.

Mayor Domenic Sarno, Parks Director Patrick Sullivan, and City Forester Alex Sherman will join ReGreen Springfield President Dave Bloniarz along with local residents, community leaders, and partners for a special neighborhood ceremony to celebrate the planting of “Tree 2000”, according to the City of Springfield.

This celebration will symbolize the remarkable achievement of Springfield’s efforts in enhancing its urban landscape and for fostering a healthier environment for residents.

The celebration will take place on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at 170 Flordia Street in Springfield.

According to Mass.gov, the program’s target areas are within gateway cities that have lower tree canopy, older housing stock, higher wind speeds, and a larger renter population.

The Greening the Gateway Cities Program or GGCP, is currently active in:

• Brockton
• Chelsea
• Chicopee 
• Fall River
• Fitchburg
• Haverhill
• Holyoke
• Lawrence
• Leominster
• Lowell
• Lynn
• New Bedford
• Pittsfield
• Quincy
• Revere
• Salem
• Springfield
• Westfield
• Barnstable
• Everett
• Malden
• Worcester
• Taunton

Large-scale urban plantings help to provide local employment and economic activity, and it’s the only energy efficiency program where almost all of the investments stay in the local economy by hiring local planting crews and growing trees at local nurseries. Healthy urban forest ecosystems improve the water quality of rivers and bays, the air we breathe, the stability of our neighborhoods, and the sense of community and individual pride.

The program plants trees (ranging from 6ft to 10ft tall) with the goal of covering 5 percent of the target neighborhoods in new tree canopy cover. Trees are planted by the DCR Bureau of Forestry and Urban & Community Forestry crews that are hired from local communities.