The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
City continues greenspace tradition
ONEIDA, N.Y. >> The city of Oneida carried on the title of Tree City USA for the 28th year after planting a new red maple in Clinch Park Wednesday afternoon.
Oneida is one of more than 100 Tree City USA communities in New York and has maintained that tile over the year by exemplifying good tree planting practices, city officials say.
City Engineer Eric Schuler and Parks and Recreation Department Director Luke Griff were out
with members of their respective departments on the cold December day to plant a red maple — something they wanted to do back in the fall or spring.
The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest service and state forestry agencies.
“We definitely are a tree city, but there are certain requirements that have to met every year to maintain Tree City Certification,” Schuler said. “You need to have plans in place for removing trees, trimming trees, planting trees and designate a day for a tree planting ceremony.”
Schuler said the city would have liked to invite local children from the schools out to partake in the event, but due to construction on the Oneida Rail Trail and other capital projects, the city couldn’t hold the ceremony until mid December.
Griff said the plan was to plant trees along the back of Clinch Park near the Oneida Rail Trail in the fall, but that was pushed back to spring.
“This is something Dwight Davis started,” said Griff, referring to the former assistant city engineer for Oneida who is now DPW foreman. “This is something he did for the city and it’s something we’ve kept going.”
Griff said planting trees and keeping a city green is important.
“You don’t want a city without a greenscape,” Griff said. “When we’re doing projects, we’re looking at places we can put greenscape in that breaks up the look of cement and houses, making the city a bit more enjoyable.”