Port Jervis Common Council Unsure of Tree Grant Status

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By Dakota Hendricks

Port Jervis — At the June 23rd Common Council meeting, councilmembers voted to table a decision on whether to cancel a $1 million Urban Forestry grant.

The grant, already signed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is a reimbursement-based agreement, meaning the city must first spend the funds before being reimbursed, up to $1 million. According to Valerie Maginsky, Executive Director of the Port Jervis Community Development Agency (CDA), the agreement was originally made under the Biden administration with a five-year implementation period, later reduced to four years due to program changes. The city is now one year into the contract, but little progress has been made beyond the required administrative paperwork, and concerns are growing about whether the current federal administration will honor the commitment. Considerable rhetoric has come from the current administration against any green policy.

Jim Blanton, a member of the Port Jervis Tree Commission, urged the Council to retain the grant and consider a scaled-back approach until a rumored USDA restructuring in September. He proposed hiring a part-time urban forester to initiate limited tree planting and argued that the signed agreement constitutes a legal obligation on the part of the federal government. He emphasized that the city should take a modest risk now rather than lose the opportunity entirely.

In an interview, Maginsky outlined the original plan, which included four planting sessions to increase the city's tree canopy. She noted the importance of strategic planting, using an urban forester to avoid damage to infrastructure and target “heat islands” where pavement and development have raised local temperatures. She said strategic placement of tree canopy can reduce ground temperatures by up to ten degrees, and that, due to space constraints, many trees may need to be planted on private property rather than public rights-of-way. In times when the U.S. is breaking high heat records from sea to sea, trees are a vital resource that helps cool the area.

Councilman Stan Siegel voiced support for the program, highlighting the need to replace ash and elm trees, which are under threat from invasive pests like the emerald ash borer and the spotted lanternfly, though the lanternfly has not yet migrated from Pennsylvania. After an executive session where Maginsky was invited to speak about the grant, the Council voted to table any action for further consideration.

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