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A small investment in city trees would be wise

The city may be able to use a portion of its $25.4 million in American Rescue Plan funds to replace trees in Newberry, the Sun-Gazette reported in late September.

The trees, as you may recall, were cut down to enable the state Department of Transportation to work on West Fourth Street. Newberry residents were displeased at the removal of 51 trees for the PennDOT project, and remain displeased at the slow pace of their replacement.

More recently, the state tree grant program TreeVitalize, through the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, has been put on hold. The program used to promote about $9,000 a year to the city to purchase saplings to be planted in parks and along city streets.

While the needs of the city are great, and we wouldn’t want to see too much of the $25.4 million allotment used to replace the missing trees, replenishing the city’s canopy benefits the quality of life and property values for neighborhood residents. The trees help mitigate erosion and flooding risks while providing shade to pedestrians. They provide habitat for songbirds.

Trees would also be a way to improve the neighborhood without creating significant future financial obligations — while pools, fountains, community centers and other assets are also important, such projects require maintenance and investment for years beyond what increasing the city’s tree canopy would.

The city’s forester, Chad Eckert, offered specific species of trees best suited for the project and noted private donors could help share the costs.

While the state Department of Transportation should provide funding to replace some of the trees, we believe a small portion set aside by the city for tree replacement, contingent on matching funds from private donors, would be a wise investment.

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