By Khalida Sarwari
Saratoga has an answer to the drought, and it involves trees–lots and lots of them. The city is aiming to plant 2,020 new trees by the year 2020.
Mayor Manny Cappello recently issued the challenge and was met with support by his fellow council members Mary Lynne Bernald and Emily Lo. The goal is to replace the trees the city lost in the drought and revitalize tree canopies around the city.
At a June 15 meeting where the council voted 3-0 in favor of the program, Cappello said the city is taking a “philosophical approach” to the problem. Council members Howard Miller and Rishi Kumar were absent.
“I think what we’re doing is we’re sending a message out to the community that we’re serious about planting trees, and we’re trying to incentivize them to do so in a very significant way,” Cappello said. “It’s a different philosophy.”
If history is any indication of how successful the city will be in this endeavor, there is little doubt the tree planting initiative will be a hit. The last time the city set such a goal was in 2009 when, in order to draw attention to it’s recognition as a “tree city,” it encouraged residents to plant 2,015 trees by the end of 2015. Not only was that goal achieved two years ahead of schedule, but the city had planted 4,600 trees by the end of the program.
Then there’s the fact that the program has already been piloted in at least one neighborhood and has been working. The program was first introduced in the El Quito neighborhood, where over the past five years 250 trees have been planted on the street. There, homeowners can request one or two front yard trees for their property, a cost that’s covered by the El Quito Neighborhood Landscape and Lighting District.
Local nonprofit Our City Forest helps manage the El Quito neighborhood tree planting program by providing trees, stakes, assistance in selecting a tree and trained volunteers to teach homeowners how to care for their trees. The organization charges $205 per tree, which includes about three annual maintenance visits by its by trained volunteers.
The idea is to get the organization to do the same for Saratoga’s other neighborhoods. To help offset the cost of the trees, the city is planning to allocate about $10,000 from its city tree fund to help residents pay for the installation and care cost of trees. This is the fund that money from fines assessed on unpermitted tree removal and other violations goes to and in turn is used to plant new trees and shrubbery, install irrigation for new plantings, remove damaged trees on city property and general tree maintenance.
Residents are being asked to cough up a portion of the cost of new trees planted under the 2,020 by 2020 program. Ultimately, the council decided to set residents’ share at $100 per tree, with the city contributing the remaining $105. Altogether, that would pay for 95 new trees; the city envisions that as more money becomes available, more trees will be planted.
Residents are asked to report back via a form on the city’s website about what inspired them to plant the new trees. The city will compile and present the information at future Arbor Day events.
“Besides making the residents commit to this program, we’re not putting an onus on our residents at all,” said Bernald. “This is a wonderful benefit. I’m all for this program and I think it’s a fabulous idea.”
Link:
Saratoga branches out with plan to plant 2020 trees by the year 2020
