Photo - Tree Day In Youngstown

[Towntalk]

Mary:

When you have to deal with negative material on a daily basis as I do with my web site you tend to allow that to be reflected in anything that come along that relates to the topic.

If it was the folks a the meeting that threw out FEMA, they should have known better, and I humbly apologize to you if I misunderstood your posts. It's them that I should have addressed. In all fairness though they should have known better.

[Mary_Krupa]

Personally, I get tired of your negativity--everything doesn't have to be an argument, you know.

I was referencing FEMA because I was repeating what had been stated at the ceremony. It was not meant to be the big focus at all of the Tree City designation, just something good to know about. Sounds like you all do a lot of reading and research. So, call the city to find out more about it if you wish or FEMA.

[Towntalk]

The right resources:

U. S. Forestry Service
http://www.fs.fed.us/spf/coop/

Grants
http://www.fs.fed.us/spf/coop/library/grantguide.pdf

EPA
http://www.fs.fed.us/spf/coop/library/EPA_Funds.pdf

Urban and Community Forestry (U.S. Forestry Service)
http://www.fs.fed.us/ucf/

Green Infrastructure
http://www.greeninfrastructure.net/

[Towntalk]

Mary, read this article and look at the photos of the devistation from the floods that are linked in that article then tell me that FEMA should buy us trees so that a few tree huggers can celebrate Arbor Day.

http://www.press-citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080621/NEWS01/806210314/1079

Personally, I have nothing against trees or for that matter tree huggers, but in the wake of human tragety that affects all of us, I can not understand how some people can be so short sighted that they would place trees ahead of fellow men in need.

If on the other hand aid was to come from the U.S. Forestry Service, that would be quite another matter, and I would not object in the least, but you refrenced FEMA and that is NOT what that agency is for. FEMA is ONLY for providing aid in such emergencies as Hurricains, Floods, and other disasters.

There is NO "natural disaster" here in Youngstown that would qualify us for FEMA funding, none whatsoever, and I would certaily like to see citations that you would base your assumption on.

[Towntalk]

I really agree with you Elmo, really I do.

These folks don't care about the fact that folks out west are hurting bad. All they care about is a few bloody trees.

Lets get real. This disaster along the Mississippi is going to cost BILLIONS of dollars and take months if not years to recover.

Once productive farm lands where our food comes from have been devastated with flood waters washing away valuable top soil.

Homes, and infrastructure will have to be replaced including the railroad tracks that bring food to the markets.

How many of these tree huggers are willing to invest their own money into buying saplings to plant around the city? They are quick though to expect a broken government to foot the bill.

Surely these folks must have read about such things as fuel spinning out of control along with the price of food, while this country is in a recession.

These 'make me feel good' people would better help our community if they were to find productive ways to help hurting families that need our help. Certainly they are more important than trees.

[Elmo-Ytown]

I don't even understand how tree replacement falls under FEMA...? People wonder where our taxes go, and why they are so high, for goodness sakes, if we want a new tree we can pay for it ourselves. Yet another thing that government should not be doing for us.

[Towntalk]

That is real nerve ... thosands of people flooded out of their homes ... hundreds of thousands of farm acres flooded ... billions of dollars in crops lost and you have the nerve to want FEMA to shell out money for a few bloody trees. That's the height of gall. Where do you think FEMA is going to get the money, or haven't you given it any thought.

FEMA has a natural disaster of biblical perportions on its hands, and I'm sure that trees are not exactly one of their priorities.

By the way, what "natural disaster" have we had here that would justify FEMA stepping in?

[Mary_Krupa]

join the party and help reverse the situation as this effort will do

Youngstown now has a computerized inventory program developed with the National Arbor Day Association and others. It has been used by other tree cities. We will inventory the whole city over time. This will include diameter of tree, type, location, condition of the tree and sidewalk condition. There are 500 miles of street in Youngstown which means a 1000 miles of curbsides. Obviously this will take time. Volunteers will be trained to gather this info.

This data will also be used to show the benefits in dollars of having trees.

Also, any tree that is destroyed by a natural disaster can be reported to FEMA and money will be given from FEMA to replace the tree.

[ytowner]

One tree is planted in Youngstown this year as hundreds of others are torn down as houses get demolished... Hahaha...

[jay]

An event in Youngstown would not be complete without some food.  This Cupcake Tree was created by the wife of a Youngstown city employee.

[jay]

A few dozen citizens came to Wick Park early this morning to celebrate Youngstown's designation as a Tree City USA member community.  In the photo below, the official Tree City USA flag is attached to the Wick Park flag pole.