Tree recovery initiative kicks off for people impacted by storms

SAN ANTONIO – It's about to get a lot more green in the neighborhoods impacted by the serious storms and tornadoes a little more than three weeks ago. On Tuesday, employees from the city of San Antonio's Parks and Recreation Department began implementing a tree recovery initiative.

"We lost all of our trees," said Jesse Solano, a Linda Drive resident.

Solano has lived on Linda Drive for 12 years. He and his family are expecting a higher utility bill when they move back home. That's because big, beautiful shade trees that once stood in their front and back yards are now gone, lost to the EF-2 tornado that ripped down the street.

Thanks to tree mitigation funds from the city, and some helpful Parks and Recreation employees, Solano and others affected by the storms were able to pick out two trees of their choice to plant at home free of charge. The initiative will also plant large trees at eligible homes.

"We hope and pray that with nurturing, they're going to grow up real nice and pretty," Solano said.

The city is aiming to give out hundreds of trees to people in the Shearer Hills/Ridgeview, Oak Park/Northwood and Northern Hills neighborhood associations in the next couple weeks.

"Yards look completely different than they used to and what this recovery initiative is designed to do is to help restore a little bit of sense of pride for these neighborhoods and help these residents get something back," said Grant Ellis, Parks and Recreation natural resources manager.

For more information about the tree recovery initiative, call 210-207-8480.

The schedule for the remaining adopt-a-tree free giveaways for small and medium native, oak-wilt resistant and shade trees of various species is as follows:
 

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