600 trees to be planted in Hanford

FRESNO, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) — The City of Hanford is celebrating the start of their transformational urban tree project with the first ceremonial tree planting.

Last year the City of Hanford was awarded $1 million from the Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program, made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act.

Forest Service Chief Randy Moore says the value of trees will bring health benefits to the community.

“To be able to come into a disadvantaged community and to be able to provide that source of shade and that source of well-being and health and all the things that trees does for this country, it’s really a privilege,” Chief Moore said.

Chief Moore also says the new trees will help battle extreme heat that the Central Valley faces.

“Our research has shown us that between a disadvantaged community and our community, that’s not there’s a temperature difference anywhere between 10 and 14-degree differences. And a lot of times that’s a difference between life and death,” Chief Moore said.

Local and state partners including the Urban Tree Foundation, Tree Fresno and Sequoia Community Corps helped make the project possible.

Brad Albert, Parks and Community Services Director for the City of Hanford says establishing an Urban and Community Forestry program called the “Hanford Goes Green” project helps transform disadvantaged communities.

“We talked about the heat, the climate, the shade, that’s real. Hanford is disadvantaged entire city on Ozon’s particulate matter. The entire valley really is really kind of sitting in a bowl. And so these trees really, really help to make us healthier,” Albert said.

He says planting more of these trees will be a solution for cleaner air, extreme heat and will overall make for a healthier Hanford.

“It’s not going to also only beautify Hanford. It’s going to make it greener and healthier for everybody,” Albert said.

A total of 600 trees are planned to be planted and will go in Hanford’s downtown area and different parks throughout the city.

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