POLB funds beautification project
The Port of Long Beach (POLB) is funding a tree planting initiative to beautify the city and cut greenhouse gases (GHG).
The initiative I Dig Long Beach – 6,000 trees by 2020 began last weekend with the planting of 50 trees in a park.
The port awarded a US$671,200 ‘Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction’ grant to the city’s development services department to fund the project. The money will support the development of an ‘urban forest’ through Long Beach.
The urban forest will help to absorb GHG, provide wild life habitat, cool land surface and increase property values.
The city’s urban forest programme is among 28 projects that were awarded a total of US$5.4m by the POLB in 2020 to reduce, avoid or capture emission of greenhouse gases. Other projects include the replacement of 7,000 sq ft of pavement and turf with trees and drought-tolerant native plants at Willmore City Historic District and the restoration of a part of Colorado Lagoon with native drought-tolerant plants.
The Board of Harbour Commissioners has also recently approved additional GHG grants, including US$390,000 to the Aquarium of the Pacific to replace its old boiler system with an energy-efficient model.
Since 2005, the port has decreased its diesel pollution levels by 75%. The grants are part of the plan to reach zero emissions.
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