Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist, Council Members Jeff Russell, Tony Dolce, Brent Sheldon, Kim Ecklund, Parks Manager Dan Stone, City Council member Marie Carrubba, Acting DPW Director Mark Roetzer, City Council member Randy Daversa, and Jamestown Citizen at the Third Street Tree Planting (May 13, 2023)

Several dozen people showed up Saturday to help plant the 37 trees that now line the block of West Third Street where the former Cathedral Oak trees stood.

The “Re-Tree-Ing” event held by the Jamestown Parks Department was part of the annual Arbor Day celebration and designation of Jamestown as a Tree City USA for a 42nd year.

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist said it was unfortunate to have to remove the 100 year old oak trees back at the end of 2020, “That due to various issues of disease in the root systems, we started seeing trees fall down on properties. It was a very tough decision for the city. Since that time, we’ve been working with the community to redesign West Third Street and make it more of a gateway into the downtown core. And so we’ve been doing just that.”

The redesign project involved the replacement of sidewalks, driveway aprons, new candlestick lighting, and the planting of new trees on West Third Street between Hall and Hallock Streets.

It was funded using $500,000 in American Rescue Plan monies.

Parks Manager and Arborist Dan Stone thanked the many people involved over the years in parks and with the forestry program. He gave special recognition to Chautauqua Art Gallery owner Leslie Calimeri for putting together the Third Street Oak Trees Art Show, “It involved a bunch of other local artists and photographers in the city and throughout the area. With her project, most of these donations, the work that they did and what they sold it for, most of those people did not take money for it. They donated 100% back, or at least a good portion back, of what they had done.”

Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist and Parks Manager Dan Stone recognize Chautauqua Art Gallery owner Leslie Calimeri with the Joan P. Shevory Citizen Forester Award (May 13, 2023)

The art show raised $2,341 dollars for the Urban Forestry Fund. Calimeri was presented with the Joan P. Shevory Citizen Forester Award for her efforts.

The trees planted Saturday include a combination of ‘Columnar’ Sargent Cherry trees, ‘Columnar’ Oaks, ‘Frontier’ American Elms, and ‘Sun Valley’ Red Maple.

Jamestown Community College students and faculty celebrate Arbor Day, 14th Year as Tree Campus USA, and Certified Wildlife Habitat designation (May 4, 2023)

Jamestown Community College celebrated its 14th year as a Tree Campus USA by planting seven trees on its campus for Arbor Day.

Tree Campus USA is a national program that was created in 2008 to honor colleges and universities for effective campus forest management, and engaging staff and students in conservation goals. JCC received its first designation in 2009 and was the first community college in New York to achieve this designation from the National Arbor Day Foundation.

JCC Biology professor and Environmental Science Coordinator Janis Bowman was presented with the Joan P. Shevory Citizen Forester Award at the tree planting. Jamestown Parks Manager Dan Stone presented the award in recognition of Bowman’s work to get JCC designated as a Tree Campus and the work involved with keeping that designation.

Tree Campuses must plant at least one tree annually for Arbor Day; as well as create and update a tree management plan, maintain a tree committee, and a designated budget for trees and their maintenance. Student involvement through service learning projects or internships is also required.

JCC also has been designated by the National Wildlife Federation as a Certified Wildlife Habitat. Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy Board President Becky Nystrom said the CWC has been working over the last year and a half to encourage people to create more sustainable habitats for wildlife in Chautauqua County, “It requires a certain amount of fresh water, and cover and nesting sites; and not using a lot of pesticides; and doing things more sustainably, planting more native plants to encourage all of the wildlife that depends on them.”

JCC Biology professor and Environmental Science Coordinator Janis Bowman receives the Joan P. Shevory Citizen Forester Award (May 4, 2023)

Nystrom said Chautauqua County has met nearly half of the requirements needed in order for the entire county to be certified as a National Wildlife Habitat.

Parks Manager Dan Stone said the grant is to update the street tree inventory, “We had applied for and received a grant to update our street tree inventory. It was originally a $50,000 grant, non-matching, so that way it doesn’t really cost the city any money, through the Urban Forestry program at the DEC. And that will allow us to better manage and maintain and keep track of our urban forest here in the city.”

Stone said the City had previously received a $25-thousand dollar grant in 2018 to update the tree inventory in Wards one through 3. He said he hoped to complete the rest of the wards in this round.

Stone said the inventory will provide a wide variety of information to the Parks department, “So it’ll tell us where it’s located. Hopefully, we can get it on other GIS layers where then we can see where utilities are located both overhead and underground, kind of tree, variety of tree, size of tree, conditions of the tree.”

The inventory program also will identify open planting sites as well as suggestions for the kinds of trees to plant.

Stone added that Jamestown has been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for a 40th year. It’s the second longest tenured Tree City in New York State. An Arbor Day tree planting celebration for the City is planned for later this month.

Jamestown Community College

“I do hereby proclaim April 30, 2021 as ‘Arbor Day’ at Jamestown Community College; and I urge all students and employees to celebrate Arbor Day and support efforts to protect our trees and woodlands; and further I urge all JCC community members to plant and care for trees to gladden the heart and promote the well-being for this and for future generations.”

County Executive PJ Wendel congratulated JCC as being designated a Tree Campus Higher Education by the Arbor Day Foundation for a 12th year,

“When you go to college, you sometimes forget what the environment is like. You’re caught up in testing, athletics and sports. But really when you look around at the nature and how many people have sat under these trees, and how many people’s ideas have been conjured under trees, and what they really bring to us is life and a lot of time for just reflection.”

Five trees in total were planted on the campus Friday including two Mulberries, a Sassafras, an Espresso Kentucky Coffee, and an American Larch.

The planting, along with an official proclamation from Mayor Sam Teresi, will earn Jamestown national recognition as a Tree City USA Community by the Arbor Day Foundation for the 37th consecutive year.

The City of Jamestown has also received its eighth consecutive Tree City USA Growth Award for demonstrating progress in its community forestry program. The Growth Award honors environmental improvement and higher levels of tree care in Tree City USA communities.

Officials on hand said there are several benefits to having trees in a community:

• Trees promote healthier communities because leaves filter the air we breathe by removing dust and other particles.
• Trees moderate climate, conserve water and provide vital habitat for wildlife.
• Trees in urban areas reduce the heat island effect caused by pavement and buildings.
• Properly placed trees can increase property values, and buildings in wooded areas rent more quickly and tenants stay longer.

The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service.

The planting of three flowering cherry trees will take place on the grounds of the Robert H. Jackson Center, 305 East 4^th Street, to proclaim Jamestown a Tree City USA Community by the Arbor Day Foundation.  The City of Jamestown has earned this national recognition for 34 consecutive years.

The public is invited to attend the event, which will be held at the northern end of the Science Center.

JCC was the first community college in New York to be named a Tree Campus USA college and has maintained the designation for six consecutive years.

The national observance of Arbor Day, which began in 1872, is traditionally held the last Friday in April.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced state Urban Forestry grants totaling nearly $800,000 will be distributed to communities and organizations across the state. In Chautauqua County, Jamestown is set to receive $25,000.

During a ceremony at the Empire State Plaza in Albany on Friday, the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the State Arbor Day Committee joined other state and local officials for an annual tree planting event in conjunction with the grants announcement.

The announcement coincided with Arbor Day – which takes place every year on the final Friday of April.