Get Trees Planted on Your Block: Apply by January 15

The Providence Neighborhood Planting Program (PNPP) is accepting applications for the annual Neighborhood Street Tree Planting Award.

Applications are due by January 15 for spring 2012 street tree plantings and are available at www.pnpp.org or by contacting PNPP directly by phone 401-368-5380 or by email street_trees@pnpp.org.

To receive street trees through the Neighborhood Street Tree Planting Award, neighborhoods should have:

• at least five properties that each need at least one tree (minimum request is 5 trees) within an area of one city block
• permission from each property owner to plant each tree requested
• a promise from each property owner or tenant to help plant their tree on planting day, water weekly and weed regularly

PNPP considers Elmwood, Federal Hill, Lower and Upper South Providence, Olneyville, Reservoir, Smith Hill, Valley, Washington Park and West End neighborhoods high priority planting areas and encourages applications from these neighborhoods especially. However, all Providence neighborhoods are eligible for this award.

Trees 2020 (Trees2020.org) also offers low cost trees for private property planting. When PNPP applicants order a minimum of 5 trees for private property through Trees 2020, PNPP will deliver all the trees together, saving homeowners the normal delivery fee of Trees 2020 trees and helping the neighborhood to plant as many trees as possible.

Providence lost 616 street trees (trees planted along public sidewalks) during two extreme weather events in 2011. In June, an extremely strong wind storm struck down or damaged 206 street trees in southern Providence neighborhoods. Hurricane Irene took down an additional 410 street trees in late August.

To address this major loss of tree canopy, Providence Neighborhood Planting Program (PNPP) is adding an extra planting day to its regular spring street tree planting. The program is hoping to assist in the planting of 280 street trees over the course of four Saturdays in spring 2012.

The Providence Neighborhood Planting Program (PNPP) is a partnership of the Mary Elizabeth Sharpe Street Tree Endowment, the City of Providence and the residents of Providence that plants street trees in Providence neighborhoods. Since 1988, The Mary Elizabeth Sharpe Street Tree Endowment has matched Providence Parks Department funds to provide trees, soil, sidewalk preparation, and tree delivery at no cost to Providence residents who apply for and receive a Neighborhood Street Tree Planting Award. To date, PNPP has planted 9025 street trees with the help of 723 neighborhood groups.