Renfrew’s Manager of Environmental Services is hoping a new program will take root.
Amanda Springer has been in touch with Forests Ontario, a not-for-profit that helps municipalities with tree planting initiatives, to bring a similar project to town in 2024.
A tree planting program was brought up as an example of how private property owners could take part in preserving and enhancing the quality of local tree cover when town council adopted a policy for public spaces back in August.
The proposal was brought to Town Council on Tuesday, December 12th, where Springer noted that Forests Ontario would handle sourcing 100 small trees appropriate for the area and help with the planting process.
Springer says tree planting programs remain popular in other communities, including Pembroke, and is personally familiar with one in North Bay, which routinely sells out.
Even if there are left-overs from the first year of Renfrew’s tree planting program, Springer notes that there’s no shortage of space in town that would benefit from the extra foliage.
The tree planting program, with in-person assistance from Forests Ontario staff, would cost $17,460.
It will be part of the 2024 Town Budget discussions and could be covered either by reallocating extra funds no longer needed for the recycling program due to the provincially-mandated blue box transition or from the Food Cycler Program, which could be discontinued next year.
(written by Kasey Egan)
