>>> EARLIER THIS WEEK WE LOOK AT THE EDUCATION THAT GOES
INTO THE MAKING OF AN UR TONIGHT, IN THE SECOND PART OF
THIS STORY, CONNECTING POINT'S BRIAN SULLIVAN TAKES US TO TWO
DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES HERE IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS, ONE WITH
A SIZEABLE BUDGET AND THE OTHER WITH A MINISCULE BUDGET, TO SEE
HOW THEIR URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED.
>> TREES ON THE SIDE OF THE HILLS OR THE ROAD
WERE HERE BEFORE THOSE IN THE TOWN.
TREES THAT RUN ALONG THE SIDEWALK AND CERTAIN ROADWAYS
AND THOROUGHFARES, WHILE IT MAY SEEM THEY WERE THERE
FOREVER, THEY WERE PROBABLY PLANTED BY HUMANS AS PART OF
THE URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM, SOMETHING GROWING BY LEAPS AND
BOUNDS NATIONWIDE. >> THE COMMUNITY FORESTRY, IT
IS ACTUALLY A NATIONAL MOVEMENT.
IT IS GROWING AND GETTING MORE AND MORE POPULAR AND THERE IS
A GROWING SENSE IN A COMMUNITY THAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE
CHANGING AND THAT WE CAN'T JUST CONTINUALLY BUILD WITHOUT
CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, OUR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, TREES
AND WHAT NOT. >> ON ANY GIVEN WEDNESDAY OR
SATURDAY MORNING IN THE SPRING OR FALL, NORTHAMPTON RESIDENTS
WILL COME ACROSS SIGNS LIKE THIS IN THEIR TRAVELS.
TO THE UNTRAINED EYE, IT MAY APPEAR THE CITY HAS ENOUGH
TREES BUT IN TRUTH, THE TREES THAT ARE THERE ARE A
DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF MAPLE AND OAK, MANY OF WHICH
WERE PLANTED DECADES AGO . UP TILL RECENTLY, THE CITY HAD
BEEN AT A STANDSTILL IN TERMS OF A A PLANTING PROGRAM.
>> IN MY TIME HERE, WE HAD MULTIPLE YEARS WHERE WE DID A
LOT OF REMOVALS AND TREE TRIMMING.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A FORESTRY PLAN OF ANY TYPE, JUST TAKE THIS
DOWN BECAUSE THEY ARE BLOCKING
THE SIGHT LINE VIEW OR I DON'T LIKE THIS TREE.
>> NOW IT IS A GAME OF CATCH-UP BUT THE PUBLIC SHADE
TREE COMMISSION AND TREE NORTHAMPTON HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
MAKE A DENT IN THE OVER 20,000 PLANTING LOCATIONS WHILE DOING
A CITY-WIDE SHADE TREE PLANTING INVENTORY IN 20,126.
2016. >> WE HAVE MANNED -- PLANTED
IN THE SPRING AND FALL AND SO YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF YOUNGER
TREES WITH THE GREEN BARRETT GATOR BAGS ON THEM.
>> THEY ARE FILLED BY VOLUNTEERS AND THE TREE
PLANTING PROGRAM IS NOT JUST LIMITED TO PUBLIC WALKWAYS.
THEY WILL COVER RESIDENTIAL HOMES IF GIVEN PERMISSION TO
DO SO. >> THESE ARE CALLED SETBACK
PLANTINGS WHERE A RESIDENT ALLOWS US TO PLANT TREES ON
THEIR PROPERTY. THEY HAVE TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT
THAT GETS FILED WITH THE REGISTRY OF DEEDS THAT THEY
WILL FOREVER BE PROTECTED SHADE TREES SO IF THE OWNER
WAS TO SELL HIS HOUSE, THE TREES WOULD SHOW UP ON THE
DEED. >> NOT ONLY THAT, IT WOULD
LIKELY ADD VALUE TO THE PROPERTY.
MEANWHILE, PLANTINGS LIKE THE ONE GOING ON HERE IN THE
FLORENCE SECTION WILL ADD VALUE TO THE CITY STREETWAYS
AND THAT HAS BROUGHT SUPPORT WHICH EXTENDS FROM THE MAYOR'S
OFFICE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
THE CITY OF NORTHAMPTON HAS BEEN FORTUNATE NOT ONLY TO
HAVE THE BUDGET TO TAKE ON AN ENDEAVOR LIKE THIS BUT TO MAKE
IT POSSIBLE. MEANWHILE, A NEARBY TOWN IS
DEALING WITH A FRACTION OF THE BUDGET AND SOMEHOW THAT WORKS
FOR THEM. MUCH OF THE BUDGET GOES TO
PROTECTING THE CHAMPION ELM TREE THAT HAS BEEN HERE AS
LONG AS THE TOWN IF NOT LINGERING TO. GET AN IDEA OF
THE BASE ALONE, THIS IS ME, 6'1", 230 POUNDS.
THIS HAS A CANOPY THAT SPREADS OUT 200 FEET AND BRANCHES AS
BIG AS TREES SO THE MAINTENANCE COMES FROM A
DECENT-SIZED PRICE TAG. BUT THE TOWN IS COMPOSED OF
QUIET COUNTRY ROADS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON RESIDENTIAL TREES
SO HAVING A BIG TREE BUDGET IS NOT NECESSARY.
>> I DON'T ENVY CAMBRIDGE OR NORTHAMPTON WITH THEIR LARGE
TREE BUDGETS. IT IS AMAZING WHAT THEY HAVE
TO DO TO GET TREES BACK ON ITS STREETS.
WE HAVE TREES ON OUR STREETS AND I LIKE THE IDEA WE ONLY
GOT 1000 TREES OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT GOES A LONG WAY TO KEEPING KING ELMER GOING.
AND I LIKE PEOPLE WHO TO WANT DONATE MONEY TO OUR ARBORETUMS
AND I LIKE THE WAY IT IS SMALL BECAUSE THIS IS A FULL-TIME
JOB AND IT IS A VOLUNTEER EFFORT WE'RE DOING AT THIS
POINT. >> THE VOLUNTEER EFFORT HAS
YIELDED EXCELLENT RESULT SO FAR, WHETHER PUTTING IN THE
PLANTINGS OUTSIDE THE POLICE STATION OR THE ARBORETUM ON
FULL DISPLAY OFF OF ROUTE 7. THERE ARE TREES HERE THAT MOST
PEOPLE WOULDN'T FIND WALKING THROUGH THE WOODS.
NOW HERE THEY ARE, LITERALLY SURROUNDING THE SPORTS COMPLEX
IN THE CENTER OF TOWN AND ON A QUIET DAY, IT FEELS LIKE A
LITTLE SLICE OF HEAVEN ON EARTH.
FOR THE TREE COMMITTEE, IT IS THE START OF A JOB THAT MAY
NEVER BE COMPLETED. >> THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I
HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO AND I HAVE BEEN ON THE TREE
COMMITTEE SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, CHAIRPERSON THE LAST FIVE, IS
THAT I HAVE A COMMITTEE THAT IS FOUR OTHER PEOPLE, COUPLE
OF THEM ARE YOUNGER PEOPLE. I NEED TO FIND A WAY TO GET
EVERYBODY BASICALLY MORE ENTHUSED ABOUT GETTING
INTERESTED IN TREES IN WAYNESVILLE.
WE'RE VERY GREEN, LET'S FACE IT.
EVERYBODY HAS TREES EVERYWHERE OUT THERE AND YET WE SHOULD BE
PLANTING MORE.