Bayside Tree Planting Surge: an ARPA and CDBG Funded Urban Tree Planting initiative in East and West Bayside

About the Bayside Tree Planting Project:

According to data from [American Forests Tree Equity Project] East and West Bayside neighborhoods contain fewer trees than other Portland neighborhoods, and are deprived of the many benefits of urban trees: shade, stormwater absorbtion, a touch of natural beauty in an urban setting, habitat, play, and the many other benefits that urban trees provide--including the basic fact that trees make people happy. Because East and West Bayside are more industrial, commercial, and heavily developed than other neighborhoods, there are fewer opportunities to plant and maintain trees, so extra effort is required to create locations to plant trees to ensure the neighborhoods receive the same benfits of Portland's tree canopy.

In 2021, the City Council allocated funds from the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) grant to the Parks, Recreation, and Facilities Department to increase tree canopy in the Bayside Neighborhoods and perform a pilot study for future potential plantings and develop sustainable planting guidelines as part of city planning policy. The project will fund a planting surge of 80 trees in addition to the City's planned tree plantings. The City has also dedicated funds from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to plant an additional 40 trees in the neighborhood, for a total of 120 planned trees in Fall 2023.

In addition to the ARPA and CDBG-funded tree planting surges, the Parks, Recreation and Facilities Department and community volunteers plant on average 30 trees in East and West Bayside annually.

This combined funding provides the City's Forestry Division and Sebago Technics, Inc., in collaboration with Portland City Planning and the Public Works Department, with the opportunity to expand Bayside's canopy cover with lasting benefits for the community.

For more detail on how we determine where these new trees will be planted, please see the provided materials under 'Supporting Documents'

FAQs

• Who is paying for this study?
  ARPA funds
• Who is paying for the tree planting?
  ARPA Funds and CDBG funds
• When will trees be planted?
  Fall 2023
• Who is maintaining the trees once planted?
  City Staff
• How many trees are expected to be planted with these funds?
  Approximately 80 + 40 = 120
• How much was the total ARPA allocation for this project?
  $250,000
• Can residents request a tree to be planted on their private property with these funds?
  No, these funds are to plant trees within the street right of way or on City property within the bounds of the Bayside Neighborhoods. Residents are free to apply for a co-op tree to be planted during the tree planting season in 2023 by visiting this website: https://www.portlandmaine.gov/1319/Co-op-Tree-Planting-Program

Additional Links:

James Urban - Forestry
Trees & Parks, Research & Tech: Creating Greener Cities for All
Promoting health and wellbeing through urban forests
James Urban, FASLA "Every project needs a Lorax."