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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><img width="325" height="73" style="width:3.3833in;height:.7583in" id="Picture_x0020_7" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D9EBF8.C15A2EF0" alt="Title: City of Durham Communications Department"><span style="font-size:1.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="color:#00467E"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="color:#00467E">News Media Contact<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><a href="mailto:CommsMedia@DurhamNC.gov">CommsMedia@DurhamNC.gov</a><span style="color:#00467E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:50.0pt;color:#00467F">News Release</span><span style="color:#D3372A"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#EF3D42">For Immediate Release: September 20, 2023</span><span style="color:#D3372A"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt">City of Durham and Keep Durham Beautiful Awarded Multimillion Federal Grant to Plant Trees in Disadvantaged Areas</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="normaltextrun"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt">$5.3 Million Award to Increase Number of Trees on Public Properties and Fund Forest Management Plan Update</span><o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="normaltextrun"> </span><span class="eop"> </span><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="normaltextrun">DURHAM, N.C. – In the near future, 4,000 new trees will line the streets of Durham thanks to a multimillion federal grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="normaltextrun"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="normaltextrun">The </span><a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/799/Urban-Forestry">City of Durham</a><span class="normaltextrun"> and
</span><a href="https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/">Keep Durham Beautiful</a><span class="normaltextrun"> were selected to receive a $5.3 million
</span><a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/urban-forests/ucf/2023-grant-funding">Urban and Community Forestry Grant</a><span class="normaltextrun">. The grant money will be used to plant trees in to-be-determined disadvantaged areas across the city
as identified by the City using the federal government’s </span><a href="https://toolkit.climate.gov/tool/climate-and-economic-justice-screening-tool">Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool</a><span class="normaltextrun">. These areas are also targets
of the federal government’s </span><a href="https://www.energy.gov/diversity/justice40-initiative">Justice40 Initiative</a><span class="normaltextrun">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="normaltextrun"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b>What You Need to Know<o:p></o:p></b></p>
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<li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">The implementation period for the grant is 2024 to 2029.<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">Urban Forestry staff are responsible for tree planting and care in public rights of way and City-owned property.
<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">Civic groups will benefit from opportunities to plant trees as volunteers with Keep Durham Beautiful.
<o:p></o:p></li><li class="MsoNoSpacing" style="mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3">Equitable and resilient tree canopies reduce heat island effects, improve water quality, and promote health.<o:p></o:p></li></ul>
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<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Over the next five years, <span style="color:black">City staff and
</span>Keep Durham Beautiful<span style="color:black"> will use the USDA grant to revise the City’s 2018
</span><a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/34156/Urban-Forest-Management-Plan">Urban Forest Management Plan</a><span style="color:black">, and plant 4,000 trees in target areas, including numerous planting sites identified in East Durham.
Additionally, City staff plan to survey 215 acres of critical wildlife habitat proposed for creation of the Ellerbe Creek Rookery Dedicated Nature Preserve.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black">“This announcement is timely as recent extreme weather events caused significant damage and destruction to urban trees across the city,” said Keep Durham Beautiful Executive Director Tania Dautlick. “USDA cites
studies that show communities with access to trees and green spaces are associated with improved health outcomes, reduced crime, lower average temperatures, and an influx of other kinds of investments and new economic opportunities.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black">“The City’s Urban Forestry Division and Keep Durham Beautiful will continue to leverage investments such as this to equitably build Durham’s capacity to expand and protect vital tree canopy throughout the city,”
said General Services Director Jina Propst. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black">Future updates on Durham’s USDA grant award and tree planting locations will be posted to the Urban Forestry Division’s
</span><a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/799/Urban-Forestry">webpage</a><span style="color:black">.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">While the USDA announced the grant award, the Durham City Council must formally accept it before City staff can implement the proposed initiatives.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span class="normaltextrun"><b>About the City of Durham General Services Department Urban Forestry Division<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black">The mission of the </span><a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/799/Urban-Forestry">Urban Forestry Division</a><span style="color:black"> is to enhance the quality of life for the Durham community by providing professional
quality tree care on City property and in City rights-of-way. This division is dedicated to the pruning, planting, removal, and protection of trees using the latest arboriculture techniques and safety standards. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black">A comprehensive list of the City’s goals and strategies for tree care can be found in the </span><a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/44429/Urban-Forestry-Links-PDF" target="_blank"><span style="color:#00477F;background:white">City
of Durham Urban Forest Management Plan</span></a><span style="color:black">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">Keep Durham Beautiful</span></b><span style="color:#242424"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><a href="http://www.keepdurhambeautiful.org/" target="_blank"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">Keep Durham Beautiful</span></a><span style="color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white"> (KBD)
is a nonprofit, volunteer organization working in partnership with the </span><a href="https://durhamnc.gov/733/General-Services" target="_blank"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">City of Durham General Services Department</span></a><span style="color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white"> and </span><a href="http://dconc.gov/" target="_blank"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">Durham
County</span></a><span style="color:#242424">. KDB leverages the power of volunteerism through tree planting projects, native habitat preservation, litter removal campaigns such as Adopt-a-Street, Big Sweep and Creek Week, and place-based beautification activities.
KDB empowers residents to become environmental stewards, cultivating a greater sense of community belonging.</span><span style="color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white"> To learn more follow on </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/KeepDurhamBeautiful" target="_blank"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">Facebook</span></a><span style="color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">, </span><a href="https://instagram.com/keepdurhambeautiful/" target="_blank"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">Instagram</span></a><span style="color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">, </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/keepdurhambeautiful/" target="_blank"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">Flickr</span></a><span style="color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">,
and </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/DurhamBeautiful" target="_blank"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">X, formerly known as Twitter</span></a><span style="color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white">###</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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