Columbus, OH (September 9, 2016) – To boost enthusiasm for the Branch Out initiative aimed at planting 300,000 trees by 2020, the City of Columbus is targeting neighborhoods with depleted tree canopies for a tree giveaways and other incentives.
The program started in September of last year with the hopes of replenishing the city’s canopy, much of which was lost to the Emerald Ash Bore and the Asian Long-Horned Beetle. It didn’t take off until spring, though, when the city set the goal of planting 20,000 trees in April.
Right now the Tree-o-Meter sits at just under 20,000, about a third of the number of trees necessary to keep pace. Even counting the year 2020, 50,000 trees would need to be planted annually — more than twice their current rate.
Erin Miller, Environmental Steward for the City of Columbus, said part of the problem is that people who plant new trees aren’t registering the trees with the city, resulting in an inaccurate tree count. Those who do register a tree can get an up to $100 rebate, based on the kind of tree.
Although the city wants more trees in general, it’s specifically targeting certain neighborhoods whose canopies are severely diminished. In this 1,000-tree giveaway, Miller said they’ve been targeting the South side, which has less than 15 percent of urban tree canopy, but they might not be the ones buying the trees.
“We have targeted our education and outreach to the South side, because they do have lower tree canopy in the South side than in a lot of other areas in the city,” she said. “But there’s not a zip code attached to the registration form, just a street address.”
Learn more about the Columbus Branch Out Initiative
Read the full article: “City Targets Far South in 1,000-Tree Giveaway,” Columbus Underground