Hartford receives $6 million grant to expand tree canopy

Hartford will soon be a little greener. That’s thanks to a $6 million federal grant that will allow the city to plant more trees.

The city expects a wide range of benefits that go far beyond aesthetics. It will help beautify the city, but experts say it will also help make the city healthier to live in and could counter some climate change effects.

Each year, the City of Hartford plants hundreds of trees, but that’s only half of what they would like.

“Our goal, at this time, is to plant 1,500 trees a year and we’re falling short of that right now,” Chair of Hartford’s Tree Advisory Commission Jack Hale said.

That could soon change. The goal of 1,500 new trees per year has become more fiscally attainable thanks to the grant.

“It will allow us to plant a lot more trees and take care of the ones that are already here,” Hale said.

The city said the goal is to increase its current tree canopy coverage from 25% to 35% by the year 2070. According to the KNOX Foundation - an advocate group for a greener Hartford - the city’s existing trees help keep 590 million gallons of storm water from entering drains.

UConn Assistant Professor of Urban Community Forestry, Dr. Cynnamon Dobbs, agrees that trees help mitigate flooding potential.

“[Trees] decreases the speed in which the rainfall falls, and therefore it allows the soil to infiltrate more water,” Dobbs said.

KNOX research also indicates that Hartford’s current trees remove more than 147,000 pounds of pollutants.

“That is going to help improve air quality,” Dobbs said.

Dobbs explains that the benefits trees bring to the city will help also bridge the gap between areas with trees and without. She said this helps bring environmental equity.

“In general, they provide health and well-being and that’s something that should be distributed equally for all citizens in the city,” Dobbs said

Areas like Parkville, upper Albany and Clay Arsenal will be prioritized. Not only will municipal area’s benefit the plan calls to also to plant trees directly on people’s private property with their choice of tree.

“Maybe it’s deciduous. Maybe it’s an evergreen. Maybe it’s a flowering. We’re giving the option so that people can customize it to what they want, to get the benefit,” Hartford Director of Sustainability Cecelia Drayton said.

The city said planting on people’s private property could help cool buildings and homes that don’t have air conditioning.

“Whatever we can do to increase shade, right where people live, is critical,” Hale said.

An application process to have trees planted on private property has not yet been set up, but residents could soon benefit while also helping the Hartford community.

Drayton was instrumental in securing the grant. She said it’s not known exactly how many trees this will be able to provide but is confident the future plantings will have a positive impact.

“Just decreasing the overall temperature of Hartford, increasing the quality of life and the comfort for residents. That is the ultimate benefit,” she said.

New Haven, Stamford, Stratford, Norwalk and Bridgeport also received some money through this grant program, but not nearly as much as Hartford. We’re told the second highest grant is $250,000.