City of Gadsden awarded a grant to plant tree canopy at former steel plant
Gadsden Secures $80,000 Grant for Urban Forest Initiative
Gadsden, Alabama, is set to enhance its environmental landscape and community wellbeing thanks to an $80,000 grant from the Alabama Forestry Commission’s Trees4AL program. The funding will enable the city to plant 250 native trees around the perimeter of a former steel plant, an area long considered blighted. Gadsden Mayor Craig Ford highlighted the initiative’s dual objectives: to improve the environment and beautify the corridor surrounding the abandoned industrial site.
This initiative falls under the ambit of Gadsden’s STEEL PLANT program—an acronym for Sowing Transformative Environmental Elements Leveraging Planted Lush And Native Trees. The city is also making strides in other environmental projects, recently securing a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program for the Downtown Gadsden Greenway project.
Ford expressed optimism about how these initiatives are interconnected, noting that they will collectively redefine the area surrounding the old steel plant. The revitalization efforts also include drainage improvements and enhanced infrastructure nearby, making way for new industries that are already beginning to occupy the steel plant’s buildings. The mayor is enthusiastic about the long-term impact this urban forest initiative will have, proclaiming he is eager to witness its growth and the benefits it will bring to the community.
Read the complete article here: https://abc3340.com/news/local/city-of-gadsden-awarded-a-grant-to-plant-tree-canopy-at-former-steel-plant-native-community-alabama-city-downtown-greenway-local
