Santa Rosa County has been selected to receive a competitive Urban and Community Forestry Grant in the amount of $16,500 from the Florida Forest Service. The funding will be used to plant and establish 151 native trees at the Bagdad Mill Site Park as part of a community tree demonstration and education project. Grant funds will be supplemented with in-kind resources and $6,000 from the county’s tree mitigation fund. The proposal, submitted by the Santa Rosa County Grants Department, received the highest score among 25 other proposals in the program.
The project includes planting several species of trees, all native to the area and with higher levels of wind resistance. Among the species chosen for planting will be longleaf, slash and loblolly pines, which share a historical connection to the park’s former use as a southern pine lumber mill. The plantings will be conducted following proper urban forestry practices and utilizing “right tree in the right place” techniques. Other educational components will include proper selection and care and maintenance of trees, and the need for and benefits of sustainable urban tree canopies.
Santa Rosa has partnered with the Bagdad Waterfronts Florida Partnership, The Longleaf Alliance, Santa Rosa District Schools, and UF/IFAS Extension programs to assist in implementation of this project and to promote an active urban forestry program in the community. Planting of the trees is anticipated to begin in late 2016.