For Immediate Release
September 11, 2006
Contact: Christine Falvey
Tel: (415) 554-6920
***PRESS RELEASE***
Department of Public Works, SF Connect and PG&E
Plant Over 100 Trees in Large Volunteer Effort
Corporate Support is second in latest effort to green San Francisco
San Francisco, Ca – The Department of Public Works' led an all-day volunteer effort today with SF Connect, Hand On Bay Area and PG&E to green and beautify a formerly tree barren roadway in the City's southeast sector.
DPW led the effort to plant more than 100 trees along 10 blocks of Evans Avenue, a street that has become a major transportation link from the City's Third Street and Southeast neighborhoods to downtown San Francisco.
PG&E donated $25,000 to SF Connect, a local non-profit organization, to help beautify the area around their former Power Plant in Hunter's Point in addition to allowing 130 of their employees to spend the work day planting trees in the City. The donation follows a recent gift to SF Connect from Shaklee Corporation to plant 850 saplings and street trees throughout San Francisco.
Corporate sponsorship is key to greening San Francisco, said Mohammed Nuru, Deputy Director of the Department of Public Works. Support such as this helps us support Mayor Newsom's Livable Streets Initiative and enables San Francisco residents and visitors to enjoy all of the benefits that an increased tree canopy brings, he added.
DPW and SF Connect activities support the mayor's Livable Streets Initiative, which aims to make San Francisco a world leader in city greening by 2010 by taking a green approach to city infrastructure management and ensuring that greening not only beautifies, but increases public safety, reduces noise and airborne pollution, cuts city maintenance costs, improves resource efficiency, reduces water consumption, and enhances wastewater management.
San Francisco has ranked low with an average of less than one tree per every resident, as compared to other cities, which have as many as of three trees per resident. Trees bring a wealth of benefits to the City including improving aesthetics, removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, wind protection, wild life habitat, decreased storm run off, increased property values, and more.
Click here to view photos.
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