TOLEDO, Ohio —
Tree planting events were held around northwest Ohio on Friday to celebrate Arbor Day and Toledo residents can expect even more planted around the area in the next few years.
The city of Toledo was awarded $6.1 million from the Urban and Community Forestry Program for the RE-TREE Toledo (Restoring and Enhancing Tree Canopy for Resilience, Equity, and Engagement in Toledo) project.
As part of the program, 10,748 trees will be planted over five years on publicly-owned vacant lots, along streets and in parks.
Simon Nyi, the city of Toledo's grants commissioner, said the city only has 17% tree canopy coverage. The recommended amount to have is 35 to 40%, according to Nyi.
Having more tree coverage helps reduce extreme heat during the summer, especially in areas where there are lots of parking lots and paved roads, according to Nyi.
RELATED: Feds spread $1 billion for tree plantings among US cities to reduce extreme heat and benefit health
He said trees can also help create cleaner air by acting as a filter, and they can help with stormwater runoff.
"They absorb some of those nutrients and things that ultimately make their way into the river and lakes and contribute to things like algae blooms," Nyi said. "There are even studies that show that trees contribute to safer roads by reducing speeding and there's some research showing they actually result in reductions in crime rates."
Nyi said trees can also reduce energy consumption and provide personal health benefits.
The program is still in the planning phase, but trees should start being planted by next spring, according to Nyi.
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