More free trees coming to Niagara County

Ben Joe, Niagara Gazette, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
·1 min read

May 9—The Niagara County Soil and Water Conservation District is spending down a grant to plant trees in Niagara County.

The grant is from the U.S. Forest Service through the Great Lake Restoration Initiative. This year, the conservation district has purchased 90 trees for planting within the cities of Lockport and Niagara Falls, and the county-owned Krull Park, bringing the total of trees planted to 400 since 2022.

The grant was given to foster species diversity, according to Scott Collins, remedial action plan coordinator for the district. Diversity is key to ensuring no disease or insect can wipe out an entire tree stock, as occurred with the Emerald Ash Borer.

"We tried not to plant any more than 10 or 20 of each species. This increased diversity helps prevent other invasive species from causing a mass die-off of tress," he said.

In Lockport, 10 honey locusts, 10 cockspur hawthornes and 10 serviceberries will be planted. In both Niagara Falls and Krull Park, 10 cockspur hawthornes and 20 serviceberries will be planted.

Also through the grant, county-owned Oppenheimer Park, in Wheatfield, saw 100 trees planted between 2022 and 2023. This is the final year of the grant.