RVC gets tree grant

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Thanks to a grant from the state Department of Environmental Conservation, Maple Avenue will look better than ever when the construction is finally done.

The Village of Rockville Centre was one of two Long Island municipalities to receive a grant from the DEC for tree planting (the Town of Oyster Bay was the other). The $21,740 grant will be used to plant trees along Maple Avenue, which is currently under construction.

“Trees and green spaces are an important part of Rockville Centre,” said Mayor Francis X. Murray. “The DEC understands the benefits of community and urban forests in protecting our air and water and improving the quality of life, and these grants are a valuable tool to support local projects to develop and manage these resources.”

The grant to Rockville Centre was part of $280,000 in Environmental Protection Fund grants that the DEC distributed to municipalities all over the state. The grants are for projects that target local environmental issues and benefit the community and the environment.

Rockville Centre was one of 10 grant winners out of 145 applicants.

The trees will be planted once the construction on Maple Avenue nears completion. The number of trees has yet to be determined, as it will depend on the size of the trees the village purchases.

The DEC grant is just the latest grant that the village has received over the last few years. To date, Rockville Centre has received more than $6 million in grants and gifts.

“The village has been extremely aggressive in pursuing grant money for worthy programs,” Murray said.  “It keeps taxes down while improving the quality of life in our village.”