Los Angeles is getting greener!
Our sister station KFI AM 640 reports that the Los Angeles City Council voted today to accept a $1.5 million grant from CalFire to plant about 2,000 street trees!
The KFI report states that the city was successful in securing the “Root for the Future'' tree planting grant. This grant will reportedly provide funding for Los Angeles and its partners to plant the trees in disadvantaged communities (original reporting from the Los Angeles Bureau Sanitation and Environment).
Additionally, the “Root for the Future'' tree planting grant includes the creation of 750 new tree wells and provide critical water and maintenance for more than 1,500 new street trees for 3 years!
According to KFI, the Board of Public Works President Kevin James said the following:
“The disparity between neighborhoods with trees and those without symbolizes the lack of environmental and economic equity in Los Angeles neighborhoods,. Trees aren't just a climate change issue, they are an equity issue. This Root for the Future grant will help the city begin to address both challenges simultaneously."
That is not all! the efforts to bring more green to Los Angeles continues. According to the KFI report, Root for the Future is just one fraction of the movement. LASAN reportedly also signed a contract with the State for an additional $2.265 million for the Boyle Heights Green Infrastructure project, which will reportedly provide 1,400 new trees and 525 new tree wells in the city-designated neighborhood.
The contract also will fund watering by one of the city's nonprofit partners in a neighborhood that is in one of the city's Clean Up, Green Up overlay districts.
According to LASAN, The Root for the Future project is funded through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for California Climate Investments.
LA residents can sign up to adopt and care free street trees at www.lacitysan.org/freetree. This is amazing! Leave your thoughts and comments below!
PHOTOS: Getty Images