Medford, OR Neighborhood Street Tree Partnership
Type: Program
Status: Ongoing
Source File: http://www.ci.medford.or.us/Page.asp?NavID=608
Description:
Enhancing the Quality of Life in Medford’s Neighborhoods
Are you and your neighbors concerned about the trees in the planting strip on your block? Are storms taking down branches of those trees? Do you need or want trees between the curb and sidewalk on your block?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Neighborhood Street Tree Partnership is the program for you and your neighborhood!
Contact the City's Neighborhood Resource Coordinator to find out if your neighborhood is eligible to participate in this program. A minimum of ten households is required. The city will provide technical assistance and there is an opportunity to apply for a matching grant of up to $7,000 for eligible neighborhood groups. Work may include removal and replacement of hazard trees, pruning and planting of new trees.
How to Get Started in Your Neighborhood
Contact the City’s Neighborhood Resource Coordinator to set up a neighborhood meeting. We will help by creating flyers to advertise your neighborhood meeting and then will come to the meeting with a video about the benefits of street trees. We will also come with plenty of informational brochures about how to plant and care for your trees.
If the neighborhood wishes to pursue the Neighborhood Street Tree Partnership to either replace, prune or plant trees, the city’s Neighborhood Resource Program will help the group prepare a Neighborhood Matching Fund small grant application to help defray the costs.
Choosing a Neighborhood Liaison
While the city will help with a matching grant and offer technical assistance, the neighborhood needs to select a neighborhood tree liaison to coordinate with the City throughout the project.
The following steps are included in the Street Tree Partnership:
- Have the neighborhood trees assessed by the City's Arborist.
- Determine the scope of the project. (i.e. # of trees to be pruned or removed and replaced or # of new trees to be planted.)
- Prepare a Neighborhood Matching Fund Grant application.
- Hold neighborhood meetings to keep everyone informed and aware.
- Schedule work days, inform neighbors and invite friends and have fun.
Throughout the above process, the City Arborist Bill Harrington will provide technical assistance. For more information, contact Louise Dix, Neighborhood Resource Coordinator at 774-2090.