City of Chico, BEC celebrate Arbor Week by planting 30 new trees

CHICO » The city of Chico celebrated California Arbor Week on Saturday by planting 30 trees.

Some of Chico’s elected leaders, Public Works Department Tree Division employees, Butte Environmental Council and other community stakeholders spent a sunny day planting the trees in the public rightof-way and residential front yards in Chico. Chico’s Urban Forest Manager Richie Bamlet said that new trees will provide shade and beauty to the streetscape, as well as provide opportunities for civic engagement.

He also noted that the shade that the trees will provide will help decrease PG&E costs by $50 to $70 per year. He said that in almost every instance when a tree was taken down that provided shade, the resident affected reported an increase in PG&E costs.

Both he and BEC’s Caitlin Dalby said trees are free to residents and those who want simply need to contact the BEC in order to get a tree that the group will plant for free. The only cost to the residents has is for watering. But the tree comes with a drip system that uses enough water to cost the resident about $5 over a three-year period.

A pledge to water the tree is part of the deal to acquire it.

By the end of the three years, they say, the root system will have reached the water table and will have grown down it and not out and up to impact sidewalks.

Bamlet said that the city has pledged to plant 700 new trees by March 2022. So far, over 500 new trees have been planted in streets and parks throughout the city since 2018. Dalby added there are 7,000 more spaces in Chico where should be planted.

RICK SILVA — PARADISE POST Left to right, Pat Dobson, Patty Haley and Patty Schaefer work to plant one of three trees they planted Saturday at a home on Broadway. Thirty trees were planted to celebrate California Arbor Week.

RICK SILVA — PARADISE POST Left to right, Pat Dobson, Patty Schaefer and Patty Haley set in the pole that will stabilize one of three trees, they planted Saturday at a home on Broadway. Thirty trees were planted Saturday to celebrate California Arbor Week. Chico’s elected officials, the Public Works Department Tree Division, along with Butte Environmental Council and other community stakeholders took part.