Press Release: Town Plants 33 New Trees with the Help of Neat Streets Miami Tree Matching Grant
CUTLER BAY, FL—With the support of a $7,462 grant from Miami Dade County’s Neat Streets Miami Tree Matching Grant, the Town of Cutler Bay planted 33 new street trees, adding up to 63 tree plantings for the 2018-19 fiscal year. The completion of these plantings is the latest accomplishment in the Town’s long list of tree plantings—3,755 trees have been planted since the Town was incorporated in 2005. The Arbor Day Foundation has also designated Cutler Bay as a Tree City USA for ten consecutive years and awarded the Town the Growth Award for the five consecutive years.
“The benefits of a substantial tree canopy are priceless for our residents’ quality of life,” stated Town Manager Rafael Casals. “Trees not only aid to cool the area and clean the air, they promote a healthy lifestyle, increase property value and reduce energy costs.”
In an attempt to reach the Million Trees Miami goal of planting one million trees to achieve a 30 percent tree canopy for Miami-Dade County, Neat Streets Miami created the Street Tree Matching Grant. Funded by Miami-Dade County, this grant engages municipalities, agencies, non-profit organizations, foundations, and community groups in planting native or Florida-friendly trees on streets, including corridors, gateways, bus stops, and connections to schools and parks.
“We hope to encourage municipalities, agencies, and organizations to plant trees on public lands, specifically to shade roadways that lead to bus stops, parks, schools, gateways, and transit corridors throughout Miami-Dade County,” said Miami-Dade County District 9 Commissioner Dennis C. Moss, who is the Chair for Neat Streets Miami. “By incentivizing our partners to plant at these locations through Neat Streets Miami’s Street Tree Matching Grant, we are working together to create a more livable, walkable community.”
To learn more about Neat Streets Miami and the Million Trees Miami initiative, visit https://www.miamidade.gov/global/recreation/milliontrees/home.page.
