The Town of Oyster Bay has applied for a $9,325 grant to plant 75 new trees at John J. Burns Town Park, according to Town Supervisor John Venditto.

"The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is offering an Urban and Community Forestry Tree Grant to support local tree planting programs," Venditto explained. "The Commissioner of the Town Parks Department had indicated to me that he was interested in increasing the number of trees at John J. Burns Town Park, which is used by thousands of athletes and spectators each year and is the host field for several annual soccer, lacrosse and football tournaments, attracting athletes from along the eastern seaboard.

"Presently, there are 225 trees in the 52-acre park, which equates to 4.2 shade trees per acre," the supervisor continued. "If the town receives the grant, the 75 new trees would be used to line the parking fields and increase the buffer between the busy roadway and the parking lot, enhancing the recreation experience for the park user upon arrival."

Venditto went on to say that each of the 75 new trees would provide approximately 900 square feet of shade, which would increase the shade canopy in the park to 67,500 square feet or 1-1/2 acres. He added that because the park is in the Asian Longhorn Beetle Quarantine Area, the Town would use four types of ornamental shade trees, Zelkovia, Cleveland Select, Red Sunset and Autumn Blaze, which are not among the beetle's preferred species. The trees are also suitable for the high water table and sandy soil in the park and are relatively fast growing.

"The Town of Oyster Bay has a commitment to protecting and enhancing its tree resources, and we are very proud of the fact that for the past 16 years, the town had been designed a 'Tree City USA' by the National Arbor Day Foundation," Venditto said. "Trees are a vital part of the infrastructure of our communities, providing many environmental and economic benefits, not to mention beautifying our landscape. Trees help clean the air, conserve soil and water, moderate temperature, and bring nature into our daily lives. We are very optimistic that given our proven track record in advancing an effective community forestry program, we will be successful in obtaining this grant."

Venditto noted that if the grant is awarded to the town, the trees will be planted during the spring 2005 planting season.