Farmington Hills, Novi, West Bloomfield Benefit from Tree-Planting Grant

Three Oakland County communities will be home to 850 new trees this fall and spring, thanks to a public-private partnership celebrated Monday afternoon at in Farmington Hills.

County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said "many good things flow" from the $100,000 grant, awarded to the county by Novi-based ITC Transmission, a subsidiary of ITC Holdings Corp., the nation's largest independent electricity transmission company. Funds will be paired with a $100,000 Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant to plant trees in , Novi and West Bloomfield.

Patterson cited the U.S. Department of Agriculture's estimated benefits of planting the trees, which will:

• Remove more than 20 tons of carbon dioxide from the air per year.
• Release enough oxygen in a year to sustain 1,700 humans.
• Reduce runoff caused by rainfall by up to 850,000 gallons per year.

In addition, he said, the trees will have the potential to reduce noise pollution by 10 decibels.

"All of this will contribute to what we call the quality of life in Farmington Hills and Oakland County," Patterson said.

Maintaining a clean environment will draw people to the county, he added.

Donna Zalewski, ITC's director of local government and community affairs, said the company is "really proud" to be part of the tree-planting project.

"ITC is a very community-focused and environmentally focused company," she said.

The company shows what it means to be a good corporate citizen, Farmington Hills Mayor Jerry Ellis said. "The city of Farmington Hills is proud to be a part of another environmental project that will benefit generations to come," he added.

Novi Mayor David Landry said the tree-planting grant is "typical of ITC. They are so invested in communities. ... Their match of $100,000 is a very meaningful action for a business to take."

Bret Rasegan, a supervisor with Oakland County Planning and Development Services, said the communities were selected based on a number of factors, including the availability of public land and existing tree cover. All three are part of the Rouge River watershed.

Rasegan said about 15 species of trees will be planted this fall and spring. Locations determined by the county, ITC and city/township officials include:

Farmington Hills — 14 Mile Road west of Middlebelt, 14 Mile/Farmington roundabout, Pioneer Park, Heritage Park, Farmington Hills Golf Course, Farmington Hills Municipal Complex and Founders Sports Park.

Novi — South Lake Drive at West Park Drive, Novi Road south of Grand River, 10 Mile Road west of Meadowbrook, Brookfarm Park, Fuerst Park, Power Park and Nine Mile Road (new bike path west of Haggerty).

West Bloomfield — Karner Farm, Maple/Drake roundabout, Drake Sports Park, Meadow Haven/Civic Center, Family Aquatic Center and 14 Mile Road west of Middlebelt.

(A map of the locations is published with this article as a PDF. It can be downloaded from the site.)

Oakland County was among three regions in the nation to receive the National Green Infrastructure Implementation Award this year. This project fits with the county's Green Infrastructure Vision, a "collage of local open space efforts among its 62 communities, intended to guide and coordinate local and multijurisdictional preservation efforts," according to a county press release. 

For more information about the county's green efforts, visit oakgov.com/peds.