Wilmington will soon be planting more street trees to support the urban canopy.
The $1.5 million federal grant will also help the city create a map of its existing trees and planting areas, alongside their type and condition.
The federal dollars can also be used to plant trees, prune trees, and remove dangerous specimens. It includes support for Cape Fear Alliance For Trees, which will be able to plant and maintain hundreds of more trees.
Removals are always controversial – Residents love their trees. But arborists are looking at more than just a green canopy – Some trees, like Laurel Oaks, can appear healthy while hiding internal rot.
Landscape Superintendent Ben Misla said they’re prone to dropping branches, and arborists have to put human safety first.
“Is it a risk to people or property? A tree in the middle of a field, no matter how and what poor shape it's in, is not a hazard because there's nothing near it that can be hurt," he said. "So we're looking: is it next to a playground? Is it over a sidewalk where cars park? Downtown where people walk?”
This new grant will allow the city to grind stumps down, which makes it possible to replace a tree with a new planting in the same spot.
Misla also noted plans to replace Laurel Oaks with more Live Oaks because they provide similar shade, but are less likely to decay and create danger for passersby.
The grant covers a third of the city for mapping, and staff are seeking additional grants to map trees in the rest of Wilmington. Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Sally Thigpen said the grant gives the city new momentum. "It's going to catapult our program forward, modernizing our data systems, strengthening long-term planning, and enabling more sophisticated, proactive approach to managing the urban forest.”
The grant includes funding to plant 300 or more trees, prune approximately 500 trees, remove 100 dangerous trees, and grind 200 stumps. It also funds Cape Fear Alliance for Trees to plant 175 trees and maintain more than 300 trees.
The city has created a website for all street tree maintenance questions — including an opportunity for residents to report concerns about trees or request a planting.
And the city now has a website for residents to report any issue, and the request will be directed to the correct department.
