DRG Helps Holyoke, MA Create More Equitable Urban Forest

City Of Holyoke, MA

The city of Holyoke partnered with Davey Resource Group to develop their first urban forest equity plan to preserve, grow, and care for Holyoke’s trees through meaningful community engagement and proactive management.

Project Narrative:

Historic Holyoke, Massachusetts city center neighborhoods were designed to support a booming paper industry in the early 1900s. As the decades passed, the City of Holyoke saw the end of the opportunity-rich paper industry, which left little room for trees and the essential benefits they provide.

Striving For Increased Equity

In 2020, the City of Holyoke partnered with Davey Resource Group (DRG) to develop their first Urban Forest Equity Plan. The Plan uses an equity lens to preserve, grow, and care for Holyoke’s trees through meaningful community engagement and proactive management. The ultimate goal of the Plan is to provide equal access to a healthy and abundant urban forest and the benefits it provides, for all Holyoke’s neighborhoods and residents.

The Plan was funded by a grant from the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program. Due to limited budget and an ambitious schedule, DRG’s project team produced highly creative solutions for determining priorities for the City of Holyoke’s Urban Forest and focused on maximizing community outreach and engagement.

The Urban Forest Equity Plan uses an equity lens to preserve, grow, and care for Holyoke’s trees through meaningful community engagement and proactive management.

The ultimate goal of the plan is to provide equal access to a healthy and abundant urban forest and the benefits it provides for all of Holyoke’s neighborhoods.

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