The City of Bondurant was awarded $29,990 in grant funding through the Iowa DNR’s Community Forestry Grant Program (CFGP) to implement three tree-planting projects. The three planting project areas include:
- 3rd Street SE,
- along the Chichaqua Valley Trail (CVT) along 2nd Street NE, and
- within the Bondurant Recreational Sports Complex (BRSC).
The City’s 2020 Urban Forest Management Plan notes the community’s tree canopy should be expanded by 3% over the next 30 years.
This week approximately 30 trees have been planted each along 3rd Street SE and the CVT. Later this month, approximately 64 trees will be planted at the BRSC near the soccer fields. Planting trees along 3rd Street SE was selected as an opportunity to continue to expand the City’s right-of-way trees (2021 ordinance, which now allows right-of-way tree planting based on meeting the requirements of Chapter 151 of the City Code).
Ample research indicates that street trees provide plenty of practical benefits in urban planning and environmental wellness, such as shade from heat and relief from humidity, making streets more walkable and bikeable, and lowering the average electricity bills of surrounding households. They also reduce the average driving speed, making roadways safer for pedestrians and drivers alike. There is even evidence that they improve the health of nearby residents, lower crime rates, and drastically increase property values in an area. If you are interested in planting a Street Tree, please access the Street Tree Planting or Removal Permit.
The City selected the Chichaqua Valley Trail and Bondurant Recreational Sports Complex locations to aid in windbreaks. The primary purpose of most windbreaks is to slow the wind. Using trees as windbreaks also beautifies the landscape and provide travel routes and habitat for wildlife.
The City is appreciative of the opportunity the DNR Forestry Grant Program offers to support tree canopy expansion in Bondurant.
Original source can be found here.
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