CONTACT INFO. :
Office of the Mayor
Patricia Resende
(401) 529-3207
EAST PROVIDENCE, RI –The City of East Providence is asking residents to assist in making the City greener one tree at a time.
The City is initiating a pilot program to plant trees throughout the City and is beginning the pilot in the Bullocks Point Avenue area with a long-term plan to work with the Rhode Island Tree Council, a non-profit group dedicated to educating the public on the benefits of trees, to facilitate funding to expand the pilot city-wide.
“Trees not only add value to homes (between 3 and 15 percent) by enhancing the curb appeal, but they also provide food for wildlife, help to keep homes cool on hot days and lessen the cold winds, which ultimately lower residents’ heating costs,” Mayor Bob DaSilva said.
In fact, trees properly placed around buildings can reduce air conditioning needs by 30 percent and can save 20 to 50 percent in energy used for heating, according to the USDA Forest Service.
“The RI Tree Council applauds Mayor DaSilva’s decision to start the restocking of the City’s urban forest by planting trees along Bullock Point Avenue,” says John T Campanini, the organization’s technical advisor. “Trees add beauty and charm to the landscape and contribute mightily to our quality of life.
“We look forward to working with the Mayor, City Council and citizens of East Providence to make this pilot program the best it can be,” Campinini added.
The City, through funds approved by the City Council and in working with the East Providence Urban Forest, will begin planting a number of trees along the Bullocks Point Avenue area and are looking to residents who live along Bullocks Avenue to provide feedback and share thoughts on where to plant the trees by completing the attached form (link to form below).
The survey will assist in the planning and location of new trees along the roadway. In most areas, the sidewalk is 3-feet-wide and not wide enough to accommodate adequate pedestrian and American with Disabilities Act clearances. The trees will be located approximately 4-feet off the back of the sidewalk on private property.
Once a list of locations is provided, the properties will be reviewed to avoid the planting of trees within five feet of water, sewer or gas service.
“We hope residents are just as eager about lining our City’s streets and neighborhoods with a variety of trees as we are,” DaSilva added.
The City is asking interested residents to fill out this form.
Property owners interested in the Bullocks Point Avenue pilot must complete and submit the form no later than April 2, 2021. The submissions will be reviewed by the East Providence Planning & Economic Development Dept. There is no deadline for submission for those interested in the expanded program.
Please see the attached list of tree species options below.
Look for more tree planting events in April. More information to come.
Recommendations for Street Trees on Bullocks Point Avenue. These tree species are recommended for planting sites along Bullocks Point Avenue in East Providence.
Small Trees up to 20-25’ Tall Common
1.Common Name: Flowering Crabapple Scientific name: Malus species
The cultivar must have good form and spring flowers, but be sterile and fruitless. One example is the cultivar ‘Spring Snow’.
2. Common Name: Thornless Hawthorn Scientific Name: Crataegus crus-galli var. inermis
The cultivar should have good form, spring flowers, and small fruits, but it must be thornless. One example is the cultivar ‘Washington’.
3. Common Name: Golden rain tree Scientific Name: Koelreuteria paniculata
The cultivar should have good form and be tolerant of urban soils.
4. Common name: Japanese tree lilac Scientific name: Syringa reticulata
The cultivar should have good form, summer flowers, and be tolerant of urban soils.
Medium Sized Trees
1. Common name: Red maple Scientific name: Acer rubrum
Cultivar should have good form and fall color such as ‘October Glory’.
2.Common name: Ginkgo Scientific name: Ginkgo biloba
Cultivar must be a male clone without fruit production.
3. Common Name: Zelkova Scientific Name: Zelkova serrata
Cultivar must have good form.
Prepared by Carol Auer (Professor Emerita, University of Connecticut) on behalf of EP Urban Forest, a neighborhood group working to improve local trees and ecosystems throughout East Providence
