West Windsor has received a $7,000 grant from the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Forest Service Division to help develop and implement an annual tree maintenance program for its woodland area.
The grant will be used to create a “Woodland Stewardship Program,” which includes hiring an arborist to help township officials and the Shade Tree Commission develop a plan for the 13 wooded acres of the Ronald R. Rogers Arboretum property. The project will entail recording data to assess and characterize the woodland’s make up and condition.
“The assessment method will be applied as the arborist trains township staff and Shade Tree Commissioners to perform the assessment for other township open space woodland,” stated a press release from Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh. “The cost to complete this portion of the project will include $3,000 of grant funds.”
Based upon the assessment, the arborist will then prepare work plans and budgets that will be used to create the annual tree maintenance program for the woodland and special stewardship projects. The cost to complete this portion of the project will include $4,000 of grant funds.
