INITIATIVES
Our Trees
We are leading the way to revolutionize urban forestry practices through our landmark legal settlement with the City of Jacksonville. Today, we continue work to develop a public/private collaboration with the city to accelerate the effective planting of thousands of trees across Duval County for future generations.
Tree Planting Across Jacksonville
In 2017 the Public Trust settled with the City of Jacksonville (COJ) over their administration of the City’s tree protection trust fund. This settlement catalyzes government transparency, enhances tree protection regulations, establishes the COJ Tree Commission, and adds additional urban forestry staff setting the stage for the effective spending of tens of millions of dollars available from the tree protection trust fund to plant thousands of trees on public property throughout Duval county.
We received a grant from the COJ’s Environmental Protection Board to build a GIS webtool that assists with the effective management of the City’s tree planting program.
Bringing Trees to local Neighborhoods
The Public Trust completed the installation of trees at Sulzbacher Village, Huguenot Memorial Park, and the Twin Towers public housing complex. The following is a quote from Joe Parrott (pictured right) who lives in the Sulzbacher Village neighborhood and was on the crew who installed the trees: “This tree planting and flower garden project brings my neighborhood to life and gives our community hope. I was able to work with the contractor to install the trees and lots of people came out from the Village to thank us. Now I get to tell my grandkids that I helped put these trees in.”
