Mayor Domenic J. Sarno and Patrick Sullivan, Executive Director of Parks, Buildings and Recreation Management (PBRM) joined with City Forester Alex Sherman, City Councilor Attorney Michael Fenton, ReGreen Springfield President David Bloniarz, President of the East Springfield Neighborhood Council (ESNC) Kathy Brown and ESNC members, a representative from the MA Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and crews from the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department for an announcement of the expansion of the Greening the Gateway Cities Program (GGCP) into the East Springfield Neighborhood. Additionally, Mayor Sarno announced $500,000 supplemental budget appropriation for citywide Forestry operations. East Springfield businesses Duc-Pac and Eastman have partnered to staff volunteers for the planting of the hundreds of new trees that will be planted in East Springfield. Greg Merchant of Duc-Pac joined today for the announcement.
Mayor Sarno states, “PBRM Director Patrick Sullivan and I are excited to announced this significant expansion of the Greening the Gateway Cities Program into our East Springfield Neighborhood. This successful urban greening initiative will include the planting of new street trees and trees for private homes in this beautiful and vibrant community. This successful program, thanks to our partnership with ReGreen Springfield and Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi, will be planting over 200 trees in East Springfield. This is in addition to the over 2,000 trees that were already planted in our Upper Hill, Old Hill, McKnight and Bay neighborhoods. The expansion into East Springfield will help enhance the neighborhoods quality of life and is also a key part of continuing to advance my administrations Climate Action and Resilience Plan.”
“This program has provided us the opportunity to partner with the state and non-profit organizations to deliver a program that impacts every resident of the city by cleaning the air, reducing stormwater runoff, and providing aesthetic streetscape settings. We are excited to expand the program into another Springfield neighborhood," said Mayor Sarno.
The City’s Forestry Division previously removed 150 stumps in East Springfield to make way for the new trees. Since Mayor Sarno began the Stump Grinding Program, over 1,500 stumps have been removed citywide.
PBRM Director Patrick Sullivan also shared his excitement about this expansion, saying, "This expansion of the GGCP into East Springfield represents a fantastic opportunity to bring more greenery and natural beauty to our city. It's truly remarkable how this program has transformed our neighborhoods, and I'm thrilled to see it reach the East Springfield community, enhancing our residents' access to green spaces and improving their quality of life."
Springfield City Forester, Alex Sherman, underscored the significance of the GGCP, saying, "The GGCP program has provided the Forestry Division with the means to plant trees that otherwise would be unaffordable for the city. The Commonwealth has been a great partner in bringing this program to Springfield. It is helping us make the city more sustainable while providing residents with cleaner air, greener streets, and increasing tree cover in areas that have lacked shade trees in the past."
Kathleen Brown, President, East Springfield Neighborhood Council said, “We are extremely happy that East Springfield is benefiting from this amazing tree planting opportunity. Over the years our tree canopy has diminished so these plantings are critical to the health and well-being of our city. These hundreds of trees will add not only beauty to our neighborhood but they will positively impact the air quality for generations. We are thrilled to be a part of this forward-thinking project.”
The expansion of the GGCP into the East Springfield Neighborhood marks another step towards a more environmentally sustainable, livable, and aesthetically pleasing Springfield.
Residents interested in requesting a free tree or to find out if you live in an eligible area are encouraged to call the Springfield Forestry Division at: (413) 750-8022.
In addition to this investment in East Springfield, Mayor Sarno has put forward a supplemental budget to increase the Forestry Division budget by $500,000 to improve tree maintenance across the City.
Mayor Sarno stated “With Fall upon us and winter coming up, it is important that our dedicated Forestry team have the resources and funding needed. The excessive rains this past year have accelerated the need to increase the removal of dangerous trees from our streets and remove excessive growth to improve site views at intersections across the city. I want to thank our residents for their patience waiting for crews to respond to their request. This funding will provide the resources to our Forestry division to perform this work in a timely manner for the residents of Springfield.”
PBRM Director Sullivan added, “One of the most immediate issues we are facing is the heightened risk of falling limbs and low-hanging branches obstructing sight views at key intersections. This poses a severe safety hazard to our residents and visitors, as well as impacting the flow of traffic in various areas across the city. This funding will allow us to address these concerns over the next two months.”
The funds will be used as follows:
- Tree Inspection and Maintenance: Forestry Division will conduct thorough inspections of the urban forest to identify and mitigate potential hazards promptly. This includes pruning and trimming where necessary to enhance safety and aesthetics.
- Tree Removal and Replacement: In cases where trees are severely decayed or pose an imminent risk, the forestry division will coordinate the removal and replace them with healthier alternatives, ensuring the sustainability and beauty of our urban environment.
- Educational Initiatives: The Forestry division will ensure community outreach and educational programs to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining a healthy urban forest and encourage residents to report any tree-related concerns. These efforts will be coordinated through the neighborhood councils across the city.
City Forester Alex Sherman stated, “I appreciate Mayor Sarno’s commitment to the safety and prosperity of Springfield's residents, and I am confident that this support in securing this funding will greatly benefit our city. Regular tree maintenance is an important part of keeping Springfield’s urban forest safe, healthy, and resilient. We appreciate everyone’s patience in this unprecedented weather year and over the next 6 to 10 weeks our residents will witness the positive results of this funding.”
