WILDWOOD CREST – The Borough of Wildwood Crest has been awarded a $50,000 New Jersey Urban Community Forestry Environmental Stewardship Grant.
According to a Wildwood Crest release, the borough received word of this award following a successful grant application with the New Jersey Urban and Community Forestry Program (NJUCF). This resiliency planning grant comes through a program spearheaded by the NJUCF with respect to the New Jersey Shade Tree and Community Forestry Assistance Act.
Wildwood Crest plans to use this award to fund a borough-wide street tree inventory, as part of the Green Team’s ongoing efforts in implementing the borough’s state-approved community forestry management plan. The Green Team aims to assess the community tree resources, including species composition, stocking levels and tree conditions, all of which will assist in making informed management decisions. The inventory data will further define effective planting locations to enhance Wildwood Crest’s tree resources.
Wildwood Crest completed a partial inventory in the summer of 2018, as an initial review of the street tree distribution in the community. This inventory was not species-specific, but rather a rapid assessment to identify potential locations within the borough where street trees could be prioritized for planting. The borough’s intent has been to expand this document into a full inventory when funds and borough resources aligned. This now can be completed through the assistance of this state grant.
As a barrier island community, the Borough of Wildwood Crest has no vast stands of trees or defined woodlands; however, the borough’s elected officials and Green Team are committed to stewardship of the natural resources and are also committed to enhancing the park and recreational spaces with “the right trees for the right place.”
As per the NJUCF, grants are awarded on a competitive basis to encourage projects that strongly link the use of the best management practices to achieve urban and community forestry management goals defined in the Community Forestry Management Plan.
For more information, contact the Borough of Wildwood Crest, at 609-522-5176.
