Planting new trees
What nature destroyed in an Oct. 7 storm, National Grid will try to replace.
What nature destroyed, National Grid will try to replace.
The utility, which has a regional headquarters in Albany, is spending more than $250,000 to plant new trees and shrubs across the Capital Region following the Oct. 7 wind storms that ravaged the area, knocking down mature trees that had been located in parks and neighborhoods for decades.
The storms, which included several tornados and a derecho, which is a series of fast-moving wind storms, brought 100 mph winds to the region that bent and snapped large trees which knocked down power lines and interrupted electric service across National Grid’s service territory.
“This was a remarkable event in this region that caused hundreds of thousands of National Grid customers to lose power, damage to critical facilities and the unfortunate loss of natural resources like trees and other vegetation,” said Laurie Poltynski, National Grid’s regional director of customer and community. “These are areas where our employees live and work. We wanted to do something to help with the restoration effort beyond getting the lights back on. We wanted to contribute something with a longer-lasting impact.”
The money will pay for tree planting in Rensselaer, Albany and Schenectady counties, including the cities of Albany, Troy and Schenctady where National Grid said the greatest damage took place.
Rural areas of those counties will also be targeted with plantings.
The money will be used for public parks and other munici
pal “gathering spaces” the company said, and is part of the company ’s “10,000 Trees and Growing ” program.
The funding will support reforestation in parks, public gathering spaces and other areas under National Grid wires that sustained significant damage.
The support comes from both National
Grid community funding as well as the company ’s “10,000 Trees” program that encourages the planting of socalled low-growing plants around utility wires.
“Planting the right tree in the right place can help reduce outages and damage during a storm,” Poltynski added.
The plantings will take place in the spring and will be directed by local governments such as the city of Schenec
tady.
“The Oct. 7 storm caused significant damage across our entire city and across the entire region,” Schenectady Mayor Gary Mccarthy said.
“We are incredibly grateful for this assistance from National Grid that will not only help our community rebuild from this powerful storm but will have a lasting and viable impact on the health and vibrancy of our neighborhoods.”