Grant funding supplies trees for tornado stricken community

The national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB) and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) recently awarded $15,000 in grant funding to Keep Arlington Beautiful as part of a $2 million funding initiative to engage individuals in local community improvement and environmental projects.

Keep Arlington Beautiful and the City of Arlington's Forestry and Beautification division have teamed up with local organizations to provide hundreds of free native trees to residents and businesses affected by the May tornadoes. These replacement trees will help re-establish the urban tree canopy, lessen environmental impacts, decline heat islands and reinvigorate neighborhoods while growing a sense of community. City staff will utilize GPS software to map each tree and monitor survival rates and longevity of each tree planted. The funding will also allow staff to purchase additional supplies to ensure proper tree care and survivability.

Studies on trees performed by the U.S. Forest Service and other similar organizations have proven that trees not only boost environmental benefits for a community, but also work to slow traffic, reduce crime and increase property values.

The $15,000 Lowes Grant, along with $40,000 from the Arlington Tomorrow Foundation could provide more than 1,000 free trees to residents impacted by the spring storms. Arlington residents and businesses are encouraged to apply for the free trees on the City's tornado recovery website. The trees are scheduled for planting in early November.