The City of Chicopee, through a collaboration between the Forestry Department and the Department of Planning & Development, announces its Spring Community Tree Planting event on April 2nd, 2017. Approximately 100 trees will be planted along Fairview Avenue within existing tree lawns within public right-of-way. Interested volunteers are encouraged to attend and get their hands dirty planting the City’s next generation of street trees while learning about the benefits of the City’s Urban Forest. Invite your friends, family and neighbors to come dig, plant and celebrate new greenery!
This volunteer planting event will run from 9am until noon on Sunday, April 2, 2017. The installation team will rendezvous at the Dupont Middle School Parking Lot. Shovels and other necessary tools will also be supplied. Appropriate footwear and clothing is highly recommended – be prepared for all weather conditions as the event will take place rain, snow or shine!
This is the second volunteer planting event held by the City since 2015. The fall of 2015 event in Willimansett was an overwhelming success, resulting in the planting of approximately 220 trees and was supported by funding from the City and the TD Bank Green Streets grant program. This year, the event will be funded completely through tree planting waiver fees accepted by the City’s Planning Board from projects where developers were unable to meet tree planting requirements as per official site plan regulations. Mayor Richard Kos touted the benefits of this event, stating that “This is an exciting opportunity for the City of Chicopee. After losing many street trees to disease, damage, or construction over the years this is a project that will return the desirable, bucolic tree-lined appearance to the City’s streetscape without requiring additional city funds.”
The impetus for this project stems from the City’s Urban Forestry Plan, completed in 2013. In addition to participation in such initiatives as the Commonwealth’s Greening the Gateway Cities program, this Community Tree Planting event again demonstrates the City of Chicopee’s commitment to its Urban Forest. Targeted efforts to promote trees within the City’s landscape bring holistic results; when properly maintained, trees provide numerous environmental, economic and social benefits far in excess of the time and resources invested in their planting and care. Trees improve air quality, increase public health and mitigate the extreme temperatures of both summer and winter. The urban forest also provides a vital layer of stormwater management, helping to spread and infiltrate water into the soil, which lessens the impact during the “peak flow” of rain events. Additionally, trees improve our urban experience, impacting neighborhood vitality and economic development, especially in our more densely developed areas.
Planning Director Lee Pouliot commented on the event, saying that “Planting approximately 100 new trees continues the City’s commitment to implementing Chicopee’s Urban Forestry Management Plan which calls for significant tree planting efforts. It is also a step toward making street tree presence a regular layer of infrastructure.”
For more information, on the benefits of street trees, please see our updated “Urban Forestry” page on the City of Chicopee Website. Also, you may see the attached Volunteer recruitment flyer.
For more information on volunteering or to register for the April 2nd event, please contact:
Lee Pouliot
Director of Planning
lpouliot@chicopeema.gov
413-594-1516
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