City of Antigo Receives $800 Grant from American Transmission Company's Community Planting Program

City of Antigo receives $800 grant from ATC

City to plant trees in Remington Lake Park

FOR ANTIGO TIMES

ANTIGO, Wis. – The City of Antigo recently received a $800 grant from American Transmission Co.’s Community Planting Program to plant 20 trees in Remington Lake Park. The trees will be a mix of oak, honey locust, elm and catalpa.

“We’re excited to plant additional trees in Remington Lake Park,” said Sarah Repp, Director of Park, Recreation and Cemetery at City of Antigo. “With this grant from ATC, we’ll increase the diversity our tree population, as well as provide additional shade and natural beauty within the park.”

“We recognize that trees and vegetation are among the features that make communities special places for residents and visitors,” said ATC Vegetation Management Manager Michelle Stokes. “While we can’t allow trees or tall‑growing vegetation in our rights‑of‑way, ATC’s Community Planting Program enables us to encourage and support communities to plant trees and vegetation that will beautify communities in a way that doesn’t compromise the safety and reliability of the electric transmission system.”

The Community Planting Program provides financial support to eligible cities, villages, towns, counties and tribes in ATC’s service area for planting projects on public property, outside transmission line rights-of-way. Program funds can be used to plant trees and other tall-growing vegetation outside the transmission line rights-of-way. ATC has awarded approximately 240 communities and organizations with funds totaling more than $425,000 since the program’s inception in 2013.

In addition to the Community Planting Program, ATC’s Pollinator Habitat Program, which provides funding for site preparation; purchasing seed, plugs or plants; labor and installation; or other activities to establish quality pollinator habitat. Unlike the Community Planting Program, the Pollinator Habitat Program promotes planting low-growing vegetation within a transmission line right-of-way. It is open to cities, villages, towns, counties and tribes within ATC’s service area, as well as to entities that allow public access to ATC rights-of-way (e.g. nature preserves, non-profits or public land managers).

Both the Community Planting Program and Pollinator Habitat Program are part of ATC’s Grow Smart® initiative, which advocates for and provides suggestions of low-growing, compatible vegetation that can be planted in transmission line rights-of-way.

To qualify for either program, communities must commit that all current and future planting plans and urban forestry activities near high-voltage electric transmission lines

will comply with ATC’s maintenance standards. Cities, villages, towns, counties and tribes within ATC’s service area are eligible to apply for funding through the Community Planting Program. The Pollinator Habitat Program also is open to cities, villages, towns, counties and tribes within ATC’s service area, as well as to entities that allow public access to ATC rights-of-way (e.g. nature preserves, non-profits or public land managers).

ATC accepts applications from July 1 through Sept. 30, and award recipients are selected and notified by the end of the year. Awards for both programs range from $100 to $5,000. Additional information and program applications can be found at atc-GrowSmart.com.