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.

The block of West Third Street from Hall Avenue to Hallock street will be closed starting at 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 13.

The Jamestown Parks Department will hold a ceremony at 9:00 a.m. at Healing Word Ministries Church recognizing the City of Jamestown as a Tree City for the 42nd consecutive year by the Arbor Day Foundation. Following the ceremony, a community tree planting will take place where four varieties of trees will be planted to replace the Cathedral Oak trees that had to be cut down at the end of 2020.

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

Motorists must use alternate routes of travel and, as always, motorists should use extra caution while driving near this area.

Four of the trees included two ‘Flax-Mill’ Majesty Sugar Maple Trees, which are the state tree, and two ‘Worplesdon’ Sweetgum Trees.

Stone said there are four core standards that must be met to become and maintain being a Tree City USA. The first is to have a tree board, which is fulfilled by the City’s Parks Commission. Stone said the second is to have a tree care ordinance, “Ours was first established in 1981. It was written so well then we still use the same one with very little changes 40 years later. Number three, a Community Forest program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita, which, thanks to our mayor and city council, that is and has been taken care of every year for the last 40 years.”

The fourth requirement is to have an Arbor Day celebration with a proclamation, which was read by Mayor Eddie Sundquist.

A “40 Years of Tree City USA” wood carving was presented at the ceremony. The carving was done by Vince Liuzzo out of wood from one of the West Third Street Oak trees.

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

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.

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.