Local
Clarksville tree-planting group targets 1,000 trees a year with $40,000 grant match
Replant Clarksville plans to use a state matching grant to help plant at least 1,000 trees annually across Montgomery County. The effort comes as rapid population growth and development put pressure on the county’s tree canopy.
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — A state matching grant will help Replant Clarksville expand its effort to replace trees lost as Montgomery County grows, with the group aiming to plant at least 1,000 trees each year.
The grant matches $20,000 raised by the organization with an additional $20,000, Replant Clarksville chairman Jeff Robinson said. The group, founded about two years ago by Robinson and other community leaders, is working with the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System and Montgomery County Parks to identify planting sites.
The group planted 150 trees at one school campus last year, Robinson said, and expects that site could accommodate more.
Montgomery County has added nearly 50,000 residents in the past five years, Robinson said. New schools, roads and housing have accompanied that growth, while construction has also reduced tree cover in developed areas.
Trees can help improve air quality and absorb rainwater, Robinson said. Replanting is intended to address those community benefits as well as the loss of canopy. He cautioned that even the annual goal of 1,000 trees will not keep pace with all the available planting opportunities and development pressures.
“You can’t just take them out and expect not to have some problems,” Robinson said.