Twin Cities region to gain more than 5,000 trees under grant program
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For decades, development, disease and insect infestation have chipped away at the tree canopy, leaving Twin Cities neighborhoods hotter, barer and more vulnerable to pollution.
Now, metro cities will try to reverse some of that damage.
As a part of Minnesota’s Community Tree Planting program, the Met Council has awarded $2.5 million in grants to 14 cities and regional park agencies across the metro area. The funding will support the planting of more than 5,100 new trees.
“The Met Council isn’t just thinking about five years from now — we’re planning for 2050. Trees are part of that long-term vision. You don’t plant a tree for tomorrow. You plant it for future generations,” said Gillian Greenberg, the regional agency’s senior climate planner.
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The grant program will also pay for the removal of around 2,200 dying ash trees infected with emerald ash borer, an invasive insect linked to the deaths of millions of ash trees. After the tiny green insect lays its eggs on the bark of ash trees, hatched larvae burrow underneath and chew s-shaped tunnels, called galleries. The galleries hamper the movement of water and nutrients. Within several years, the tree’s crown dies back.
The program’s money was appropriated by the Minnesota Legislature for the sole purpose of regional tree canopy improvements. A total of 31 cities applied for the grants. A Met Council panel chose grant awardees.
“A few things they all share in common is they're all addressing ash tree removal in their communities — trees that might be diseased, at risk of falling on cars, or in parks where people are recreating,” Greenberg noted.
Here’s where the money will go:
Anoka
Blaine
Brooklyn Center
Coon Rapids
Maple Grove
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
Minnetonka
Oakdale
The city of Ramsey
Ramsey County
Roseville
St. Louis Park
Vadnais Heights
West St. Paul
With new trees planted in the coming months, the Met Council hopes they will provide residents with shade, reducing temperatures by at least 10 degrees. The trees also provide habitat for wildlife, improve air quality and manage stormwater.
“Tree planting is one of the top global strategies to mitigate climate change. Trees fix carbon from the atmosphere, store it, and provide a long-term [carbon] sink,” said Daniel Griffin, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota.
Although the program launched last year, Greenberg says that she and her team will be closely watching to see if their approach sufficiently addressed the public’s concerns.
“We’re tracking tree plantings by Census block groups to make sure trees are actually going to areas with the highest community vulnerability — and that those most in need are seeing the benefits,” Greenberg said. “Each city came in with a specific plan, often targeting areas near schools, senior living facilities, highways, or industrial zones where air quality is worse and shade is lacking.”
The Met Council said the largest award went to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. It proposes to plant around 900 trees on boulevards and in parks. West St. Paul expects to place 250 trees in “historically disadvantaged” neighborhoods and playgrounds.
Tree experts say the investment is a step toward correcting longstanding inequities in the region’s urban canopy.
“There are some tragic disparities around green space that map out onto social inequities with a long history in the Twin Cities — legacies of redlining and racial covenants,” Griffin said. “Some of the lowest-income parts of the metro area have the least access to high-quality urban forests. There’s a lot of work left to be done.”
