News

October 31, 2009

Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails seeking help with trees

Group also looking for donations of topsoil, mulch and other items.

By Steve Mocarsky smocarsky@timesleader.com
Staff Writer
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HAZLE TWP. – The Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails Committee is seeking donations of topsoil, mulch and other items as well as volunteers to help plant and care for 20 trees the committee will receive next month.

Bob Skulsky, executive director of the Greater Hazleton Civic Partnership – the parent organization of Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails – said the 10 flowering crabapples and 10 red maples will not only beautify the trailhead, but also will form a riparian buffer to prevent a swale that runs along the first 1,000 feet of trail from washing out as it has in past heavy rainstorms.

The trees will be part of two shipments of about 1,100 coming to Northeastern Pennsylvania that were purchased with federal stimulus money. The 20 trees for the committee are the only part of the shipments that were bought with federal Forest Service funds, said Vincent Cotrone, urban forester for the Penn State Cooperative Extension in West Pittston.

Locally, Wilkes-Barre will receive 175 trees; Forty Fort will get 71; Kingston will get 63; West Pittston will get 68; West Wyoming will get 42; and Tunkhannock will get 12, Cotrone said.

Another 700 trees will be distributed to 10 municipalities in Lackawanna County and Factoryville in Wyoming County.

The purpose of the tree distribution is to improve water quality through green infrastructure improvements. Trees intercept storm water and storm water runoff that might otherwise go straight into sewer systems and waterways, Cotrone said.

The trees being distributed to the municipalities will be planted by contractors who bid on the jobs. Putting those contractors to work is how the project qualified for federal stimulus money in the form of a $300,000 grant from PennVEST – the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority.

That grant and $25,000 to $30,000 in U.S. Forestry service funds for the Rails to Trails trees are being distributed by the Pennsylvania Urban and Community Forestry Council – a non-profit agency that has served as a conduit in Pennsylvania for forestry money since 1991.

Because Rails to Trails will be using volunteers for the planting, the organization did not qualify for the stimulus money, Cotrone said.

Skulsky said the committee still needs about three tons of topsoil, sleeve material to wrap around the trunks of the trees and about 4 cubic yards of mulch. Most important, the committee needs one or more persons to provide two pickup trucks or a dump truck to pick up the trees at the Kingston Municipal Garage when they are delivered there on Nov. 17.

Skulsky said specifics for adopting trees will be discussed at the committee’s next meeting on Monday. He was thinking a family, group, individual or business could adopt a tree and be responsible for planting it as well as for its future care.

The trees will be about 6 feet tall but can be hand-planted.

HOW TO HELP

Anyone who can donate topsoil, sleeve wrapping or mulch or who can provide pick-up trucks or a dump truck for tree delivery and anyone interested in adopting a tree can call Bob Skulsky at 455-1509 or 436-3853.

Steve Mocarsky, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 970-7311.

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