Fort Smith, Ark. – Keep Fort Smith Beautiful has recently completed a project involving planting nearly 100 trees of 19 varieties along the Greg Smith River Trail in Fort Smith Riverfront.
To complete the project KFSB relied on a $10,000 grant provided by UPS Foundation through 2019 Keep America Beautiful (KAB) Recovery Tree Planting Grant. The grant was approved as a response to last year’s flood which devastated Fort Smith Riverfront.
KFSB’s secretary and board member Megan Raynor was very thankful for the impact that this project will have on the community, “I’m very excited and appreciative KFSB was chosen to receive this grant that will impact generations to come! With this grant, we were able to replace close to 100 trees along the Greg Smith River Trail damaged during last year’s flood. These trees will one day provide much needed shade along the trail, as well as, provide habitat for wildlife, improve quality of place, and beautification!.”
The UPS foundation, which has been a supporter of Keep America Beautiful and its affiliates since 2004, has planted more than 9.8 million trees in over 53 countries. In 2015, the UPS Foundation announced it will fund planting of 15 million trees by the end of 2020.
Recovery Tree Planting Grants are awarded to KAB’s affiliates whose communities have lost significant trees as a result of a natural disaster. These grants will focus on planting trees that have a greater likelihood of withstanding disasters ( e.g., roots hold soil and prevent erosion, lessen runoff to mitigate flooding).
The application for the grant was submitted by KFSB’s long-time executive director Andrea Beckman as one of her final contributions to beautifying the local community. Beckman passed away unexpectedly in January.
Following is the list of all trees planted along the Greg Smith River Trail:
- Willow Oak (3)
- Lace Bark Elm (5)
- Water Oak (3)
- Blackgum (8)
- Sawtooth Oak (3)
- October Glory Maple (6)
- Autumn Blaze Maple (6)
- Sycamore (7)
- Bald Cypress (5)
- Burr Oak (6)
- Dawn Redwood (5)
- Deodara Cedar (6)
- Saucer Magnolia (5)
- 25/30G Shingle Oak (3)
- Chinkapin Oak (3)
- 25/30G Tulip Poplar (6)
- 25/30G River Birch (3)
- 25/30G Sweetbay Magnolia (5)
- 25/30G Swamp White Oak (3)
About Keep Fort Smith Beautiful:
Keep Fort Smith Beautiful is dedicated to keeping Fort Smith clean, vibrant, and beautiful! It is a volunteer-driven group of citizens dedicated to enhancing the image and appearance of Fort Smith, Arkansas! Their goal is to create and maintain a successful and aesthetically pleasing community.
For press inquiries regarding Keep Fort Smith Beautiful and the Recovery Tree Planting Project contact Dusan Stojanovic at [email protected] .