EO School District gets grant to plant trees

The East Orange, Bloomfield and Belleville School Districts will each be receiving about a quarter million dollars to plant trees.

Marking Climate Week, Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette, Sustainable Jersey and The College of New Jersey announced the award of $4.55 million in grants to fund the planting of trees at 34 public schools, colleges, and universities in the state.

The grants are funded by proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative auction. The Trees for Schools grant program will help mitigate climate change through the planting of more than 3,000 trees across the state, many in overburdened communities and those experiencing elevated temperatures due to insufficient numbers of trees and an excess of paved areas, according to a press release from the state.

The program is a joint effort of the DEP, Sustainable Jersey and The College of New Jersey and is among a number of initiatives the DEP has announced in conjunction with Climate Week. Climate Week draws attention to the impacts climate change is having on our planet and the steps we must take now to become more resilient.

“These grants are an important step to help mitigate the impacts of climate change and are an investment in healthier schools and communities,” LaTourette said. “Trees store carbon and reduce greenhouse gasses and energy use, thereby mitigating the impacts of climate change and strengthening the resilience of our communities. Equally important, the planting of these trees will inspire our young people to become tomorrow’s leaders in the fight against climate change.”

“Congratulations to the schools, colleges, and universities that received a Trees for Schools grant. Planting and caring for trees help our students learn
about ecosystems and the valuable role trees play,” said Randall Solomon, director of Sustainable Jersey. “We look forward to working with the grant recipients to expand their campus tree canopy while allowing students this important connection.”

Seventy-five percent of grant project sites are located in an overburdened community, which surpasses the program’s goal of allocating 40 percent of the grant funding for applicants located in overburdened communities. Moreover, many of the trees will be planted in urban communities, where excessive paving and deficient tree cover results in higher temperatures, a condition known as the heat-island effect.

Grants range from $12,000 to $250,000 and will fund costs associated with planning, site preparation, trees, planting, watering, monitoring and related expenses for a three-year period.

East Orange Public Schools will receive $227,477; the Belleville Board of Education is due to get $249,639; Bloomfield Township School District has been promsed $250,000; and the South Orange-Maplewood School District is slated to get $25,342.

  Belleville, bloomfield, east orange