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Date: 9/28/2023
WEST SPRINGFIELD — The Healey-Driscoll administration recently announced $31.5 million in grants for climate resilience implementation and planning throughout Massachusetts. West Springfield received $59,000 to be used towards the establishment of a tree nursery and the development of a tree-planting program.
On Sept. 12, the Tree and Urban Forest Committee, along with Tree Warden Marcus Catlett, met to discuss the best way to use the funds.
“The Forestry Department will receive and manage this grant. The funds will establish a tree nursery in Mittineague Park to raise small trees to plant maturity in order to cut the costs of replenishing our tree canopy,” said Pat Garbacik, co-chair of the town’s Tree and Urban Forest Committee.
The committee decided the funds would be used to install fences and an irrigation system as well as small bare-rooted trees. With the nursery, the town will be able to grow its own trees to plant along streets and on public property.
“The trees will primarily replace trees on the tree belt that have died or are a danger to the community,” said Garbacik.
The $59,000 awarded from the grant brings the program to full funding. The project budget also includes $20,000 from the town. “Our purpose is to restore the tree canopy of West Springfield as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
“This is the start of a larger initiative to enable the town to provide its own trees and reduce the cost of purchasing trees from vendors. The average cost to purchase is about $300, which does not include delivery, planting and after-care,” said Garbacik.
She noted the nursery will be run by the town Forestry Department and volunteers under Catlett’s supervision. Garbacik said West Springfield’s tree care program was considered the model for other communities to emulate under the leadership of the former tree warden, Seth Swift.
“Seth ran two nurseries: one behind the fire station on Morgan Road and one in Mittineague Park, where the new nursery will be reestablished. When a street tree would be removed, Seth quickly planted a replacement from the tree nursery,” said Garbacik. “We are very excited about this nursery and we know it will have great benefit to our town.”
West Springfield’s tree nursery is one of 79 projects across the state that received state funding as part of the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program, a fund designated to prepare communities for the effects of climate change. For the first time in the program’s history, awardees also included two Native American tribes with territory in Massachusetts, and the grant announcement was made in Stockbridge, the original homeland of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans.