Each year, BC Hydro opens a call for greening grants, and the Town of Golden will work on a proposal to receive funding for tree planting initiatives.
BC Hydro works with local governments to help enhance urban green spaces through the use of the Community ReGreening Program.
“We will be working with our in house staff on a proposal to get some of those trees for planting around the community,” explained town CAO Jon Wilsgard. “It’s a nice little initiative.”
The grant submissions need to be received by BC Hydro by January 31 for funding in the upcoming year. The town will know by the end of April if the local project is accepted, and the planting of saplings must be done by the end of the year.
In the past, the Town of Golden received 1,000 trees as part of the ReGreening program. They were planted in an avalanche zone on Selkirk hill in part to help beautify the area and provide safety for residences below.
“What [the program] does is pay for the saplings, and we put them in,” Wilsgard said.
BC Hydro work with Tree Canada to plant trees across British Columbia with help from municipalities, regional districts, and First Nations.
The grants are designed to regreen communities with awareness and sensitivity for the proximity of power lines.
Over two decades, BC Hydro has funded more than 300,000 trees across the province. The program is intended for small scale community projects.
“What it does is pay for the saplings, and we put them in,” Wilsgard said.
