Wilkinson: Vote Yes on override to restore city’s street trees

Getting significant additional funding to help restore the city’s loss of street trees is a major reason that I will vote “Yes” for Newton’s override on March 14.

At the beginning of the 1980s, Newton had 39,000 street trees. After years of losing trees that were not replaced, the city now has just under 21,000 trees lining its streets.

In the mid 1980s, the staff and budget for Newton’s Forestry Department were cut drastically, and there was virtually no street tree planting for thirty years. 2015 was the first year that money once again was allocated in the City budget for planting street trees, but that increased budget is not large enough, and the the Forestry Department requires more ongoing support to recover from the decades-long and ongoing losses.

If the general override passes, the Forestry Department will receive an increase of $500,000 (about 25% more) in its annual budget, enabling it to reach its goal of 8000 more street trees by 2030. That money also would provide necessary pruning of every street tree every five years and critical care for young trees.

Trees provide many services to our environment–in addition to providing us with beauty. They provide food and shelter for wildlife and cool the land (and houses) beneath their canopy. According to City Forester Marc Welch, if Newton still had the number of trees that it had in 1980, there would be 40,000,000 fewer gallons of stormwater runoff each year. In addition, there would be 771,000,000 more pounds of carbon would have been sequestered.

Please join me in voting “Yes” for Newton—for our street trees and also for our schools, senior services, and parks.

Beth Wilkinson

Beth Wilkinson is a member of the Newton Urban Tree Commission and the Newton Parks & Recreation Commission.