USDA Forest Service Chief Randy Moore helps celebrate start of transformational urban tree project
HANFORD, CA – The City of Hanford turned over a new leaf to a greener and healthier future by planting the first of hundreds of trees as part of its Hanford Goes Green Project (Hanford se Vuelve Verde) at the Softball Complex on Wednesday.
Last year, the City received a $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service. Hanford was one of nearly 400 Urban and Community Forestry Program grant recipients nationwide, and the only awardee in California’s Central Valley. Over the course of the next several years, the Hanford Goes Green Project will include a comprehensive tree inventory, canopy assessment, the planting of 600 trees in disadvantaged communities throughout the City and the development of the City’s Urban Forest Master Plan. The Hanford Softball Complex, which draws thousands of visitors every weekend, was selected as one of the tree planting sites because of its significant tree loss due to bark beetle damage and drought. Other planting sites will include Hanford’s historic downtown and the southern portion of the City, where residents face a range of barriers to a better quality of life.
“Urban trees boost public health, safety, and sustainability for all,” USDA Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said on Wednesday. “On scorching hot days, their canopy can reduce temperatures by approximately 10 lifesaving degrees, which is of great value to communities here in the Central Valley. The trees planted here at the Hanford Softball Complex will support all those goals for generations to come, especially providing shaded areas for children to play in, which can promote physical and emotional health.”
The City’s tree planting partners will include Tree Fresno, the Urban Tree Foundation and Sequoia Community Corps, a local nonprofit providing job training and education to young adults. GreenLatinos, a passthrough partner for theForest Service, will ensure Hanford’s historically underserved residents are included in the project.
“Through this grant program with the City of Hanford, we are ensuring that there is collaboration between the federal and local governments and the local communities on the ground, so that historically underserved communities are at the forefront of developing solutions for tree equity in their own neighborhoods, and will participate in the planning and implementation process with municipal governments to ensure their climate resiliency,” said GreenLatinos Urban Greening Initiative Coordinator Amanda Pantoja.
The City of Hanford contends with significant social and environmental issues. The Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) shows that a large portion of the City is classified as disadvantaged, meaning its residents are socially or environmentally overburdened. According to EJScreen (the EPA’s environmental justice mapping and screening tool), the City is in the 99th national percentile for particulate matter, 95th percentile for ozone and 90th percentile for wildfire risk. Its Tree Equity Score (TES) is among the lowest in the region, and more than half of the City’s Census Blocks are in the highest priority category for tree equity.
“Hanford is a diverse and growing community with many challenges and needs,” Hanford City Manager Mario Cifuentez said. “This urban tree planting project will help the City of Hanford mitigate extreme heat, conserve energy, provide shade, absorb storm water, create wildlife habitat, and filter air and water. An urban tree canopy leads to better health outcomes, economic opportunities and jobs, and increased property values.”
WATCH a highlight video of the Hanford Goes Green Kickoff Event.
