HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM

A street tree planting and maintenance partnership between the City of Providence, the Mary Elizabeth Sharpe Street Tree Endowment, the Helen Walker Raleigh Tree Care Trust and the people of Providence, Rhode Island.
Providence's innovative citizen planting program, established in the fall of 1988, offers tree grants to neighborhood planting groups, twice a year. Purchase of trees for qualifying groups is funded jointly by the City of Providence and the Mary Elizabeth Sharpe Street Tree Endowment, an Advised Fund of the Rhode Island Community Foundation. Since 1998, the Helen Walker Raleigh Tree Care Trust serves as a partner to the City in funding a systematic approach to street tree maintenance.

The Providence Neighborhood Planting Program is overseen by a coalition of groups, known as the Providence Street Tree Task Force, which holds quarterly meetings. Groundwork Providence, Inc., whose Executive Director is a member of this coalition, serves as the fiscal agent for the Program. The planting portion of the Program receives income support from the Mary Elizabeth Sharpe Street Tree Endowment, paying for half the tree costs, program supplies, and the employment of a half -time Director. The City pays the other half of tree purchase costs. The City Forester makes all arrangements for purchase and delivery of trees, while the PNPP Director is responsible for informing the public about the Providence Neighborhood Planting Program, and for making all arrangements with neighborhood participants in spring and fall planting weeks.

To initiate a street tree grant, a local resident must contact 5-20 distinct households and get them to agree to help plant, water and provide aftercare for each tree planted. A grant application must then be submitted by the consenting group to the Director of PNPP (June 1st and December 1st deadlines). The Coordinator, City Forester, and a Task force representative review all applications and perform site inspections. Once decisions are made and grants awarded, the local residents who initiate the projects must meet with the Coordinator and the City Forester for a briefing on their responsibilities and arrangements for planting day.

On each of the four or fiveplanting Saturdays in April/May and October/November, balled-and-burlapped, 2-2 1/2" caliper (generally 10-20' in height) street trees are delivered via the City's flatbed truck to the participating neighborhood groups. Before their scheduled arrival, tree planters must dig out the tree holes that have been previously prepared by the City. (Prior to planting day, a local contractor hired by the City prepares holes by cutting sidewalks, removing poor soil, and backfilling with a mixture of existing and fresh soil.) When trees arrive, they are rolled off the truck into the predug holes and adjusted for proper height. Burlap and twine are then loosened and removed, wire is bent open, soil is replaced and tamped, and slow watering is carefully applied. This occurs with the constant coaching and encouragement of the Director, City Forester, and crew.

At the end of 2005, over 6000 street trees have been planted in Providence through the efforts of 500 participating Program groups (all this since the Program began plantings in the spring of 1989). Approximately 10,000 more trees have been installed by City agencies/projects, projects stimulated in part by the interest shown in the Program.

Interest in this Program is high. In recent years (since 1993), between 450-650 trees have been requested each spring and fall by 30-45 neighborhood groups. Ultimately, we've been able to plant 200-250 trees each spring and fall, working with 17 -20 groups each round. This represents a response (planting) ratio of 44-38% for number of trees requested for this period of time, with a 57 -44% group success (request for grant being accepted and fulfilled) rate overall. The argument can be made that more funds and resources should be allocated to this public/private regreening and aftercare partnership, given the great interest in street trees evidenced by the public.