NAMPA, ID — The City of Nampa has received a $1 million grant to restore and enhance urban forests throughout the region. Grant funds were made available through the Inflation Control Act and included approximately $1.5 billion earmarked for the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Regional Forestry Program and local governments.
These federal programs are designed to reduce energy costs, improve drainage, and reduce the effects of “heat islands” in urban areas.
Related: ‘Managing growth wisely’: What Nampa’s city will look like in 2024
In Nampa, $1 million will be used in exchange for assessing the city’s canopy, planting trees in areas lacking forest cover and removing dead trees at Kohler Lawn Cemetery.
Project timeline:
Start in Fall 2024 Complete in Fall 2026
City Forester Adam Mancini said control measures to minimize the impact of the cedar borer insect on arborvitae cedars in city cemeteries have failed. As a result, Mancini hopes to replace the dying tree species that cover the site with a variety of tree species, creating a more resilient urban forest. The same tactics of diversifying the canopy are applied throughout the city. In total, Mancini and his team plan to remove 286 Abovitae cedar trees and plant 160 trees in their place. The project is scheduled to begin this year and is expected to be completed by fall 2026.
