Newport gets ‘historic’ $1 million grant to plant trees, its largest ‘green investment’ in history

By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter

The city of Newport took the first step toward a future of shade for residents in the city with a ceremony on Thursday morning

Along with ReNewport, the city will begin planting trees all along the west side beginning in October.

An historic $1 million federal grant was announced for the purpose of removing concrete and replacing it with dirt so up to 1,000 trees can be planted.

“With this project, we clearly see the value of having an arborist for the city,” said Newport Mayor Tom Guidugli Jr. “And that value goes far beyond just this project. The arborist is heavily involved in tree plantings and care throughout the city. When trees are planted and maintained, we have full confidence that the work will benefit the city because it is being done by a highly trained professional.”

The Inflation Reduction Urban Forestry Grant of $998,750 was initially awarded to the city of Newport in late 2023. This funding is designed to look at tackling the issue of climate change by providing access for residents to trees and nature so they can share the important benefits provided to urban communities. The city, ReNewport, The Westside Citizens Coalition and Urban Canopy Works worked together on applying for the grant.

ReNewport and its army of volunteers are no strangers to planting trees. In previous years they have actually planted more than 600 trees across Newport.

Back in June, the city undertook a small planting as a pilot project, but the first official planting is scheduled to begin Oct. 19 with about 100 trees, said Cassandra Homan-Wall, an Urban Forest Consultant with Urban Canopy Works. The plan is to initially plant about 25 trees, and then the remainder will be planted throughout the fall in three mini-planting events.

Plantings will then occur every spring and fall until the grant closes in early spring of 2028. All plantings will be done by ReNewport and community volunteers, and the Westside Citizens Coalition will share the task, with assistance from Urban Canopy Works, the city’s arborist.

This grant of nearly $1 million represents the largest green investment in Newport’s history, said ReNewport Executive Director Josh Tunning.

“This investment in West Newport will bring much needed equity in environmental benefits to a neighborhood that has less than five percent tree canopy coverage,” Tunning said. “The benefits of new trees in the neighborhood will bring shade, lowering surface temperature and utility bills for residents, give us clean air quality with new trees filtering out pollutants and reducing water runoff by turning unneeded concrete into new green space.”

Homan-Wall has studied the various neighborhoods in Newport, and she said the tree canopy is different in the different neighborhoods. She has collected data that shows that the neighborhoods to the west of central Newport tend to have higher levels of stree due to heat as well as poor air quality compared to other parts of the city.

“This is directly connected to the fact that only 10 percent to 12 percent of this area is covered by tree canopy, compared to 24 percent to 54 percent in other Newport neighborhoods,” Homan-Wall said.

Studies show that if there is a low tree canopy cover the area may have other problems, such as higher energy bills, lower life expectancy, and possibly other disadvantages.

“This area of low canopy is located in an area where many residents are lacking resources to deal with these stressors,” Homan-Wall said. “This is an environmental justice issue, and one that this new federal grant will work to address.”

The grant was one of over $1 billion in awards supporting 385 projects across all 50 states and several U.S. territories and Tribal Nations.

“These investments arrive as cities across the country experience record-breaking heat waves that have grave impacts on public health, energy consumption, and overall well-being,” said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a press release announcing the grant. “Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are supporting communities in becoming more resilient to climate change and combating extreme heat with the cooling effects of increased urban tree canopy, while also supporting employment opportunities and professional training that will strengthen local economies.”

“Thanks to the efforts of everyone involved, the grant allowed us to continue our 40-year effort to bring beautiful trees to the city,” said Newport City Manager Tom Fromme.

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