City of Fall River offering residents a free tree funded through ARPA

(FALL RIVER, MA)- Mayor Coogan, the City of Fall River, and the Tree Division are excited to announce the start of a pilot Front Yard Tree Planting Program.

The program is funded for the next two years through ARPA. Any property owner within the City (commercial or residential) can apply for a tree to be planted on their property within 20 feet of the public right-of-way, at no cost to the owner. This program allows the City of Fall River to increase its urban tree canopy, expand tree diversity, and beautify its neighborhoods.

The Mayor’s Office stated that trees planted as part of the Front Yard Tree Planting Program have more space to develop healthy roots, are exposed to less roadways salt, and live longer. “These trees beautify public and private property, provide shade, aid in the remediation of the Urban Heat Island (UHI) Effect, assist in traffic calming and mitigate storm water run-off.”

For all program details and to fill out an application, residents may visit the City website at https://www.fallriverma.org/front-yard-tree-planting-program/. Questions can also be directed to the tree warden via email at cemetery@fallriverma.org.

Planting determinations will be made by the Tree Warden in conjunction with the City’s consulting arborist based on the suitability of the proposed planting site, visibility of the tree from the street, order in which application is received, funding and plant availability, and the property’s location within the city.

After an application has been assessed, the Tree Division will coordinate DigSafe, planting, mulching, and staking of the tree. The property owner will be provided with a twenty-gallon tree gator bag which will need to be filled twice weekly by the owner from May to September for the first two years.