The announcement was made on Wednesday at the edge of the Bronx River at Hunts Point by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. They were joined by U.S. Representative Jose Serrano, Forest Service chief Abigail Kimball, and other elected officials.
The money will be used to employ the graduates of the MillionTreesNYC training program, whose inaugural class was attending the event. The participants, most of whom in their mid-20s, were previously not enrolled in school and were not on any career path. The program will provide 20 full-time jobs and pay them $12 an hour for the next two years as they beautify the city and help New York move towards a greener landscape.
“Everybody talks about green jobs in this country, but we’re actually trying to create them. These are some,” Bloomberg said.
According to Bloomberg, one of their first tasks will be to reforest the approximately two-acre empty lot next to the Bronx River where the announcement was made. The land is owned by the Parks Department.
“They’re hard work is going to continue opening up the Bronx River waterfront,” Bloomberg said. “The future of MillionTrees is about to get even brighter thanks to a big boost from our federal government.”
The MillionTreesNYC program was started in October 2007. It is a 10-year initiative to plant and care for more than 1 million trees throughout New York’s five boroughs. Thus far, more than 174,000 trees have been planted through the program.
According to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, trees bring several benefits to the city. They help communities come closer together by creating parks and gardens, protect the environment, and improve the overall health of local residents.
