Tree-Mendous Adoption Meeting to Kick Off Longview's 5,000-Tree Initiative

The City of Longview will hold a Tree-Mendous Adoption Meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at the Maude Cobb Convention Center to introduce a $1,181,667 Texas A&M Forest Service grant that will fund the planting and giveaway of 5,000 trees across the city.

The City of Longview will host a Tree-Mendous Adoption Meeting at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at the Maude Cobb Convention Center. The meeting will introduce a $1,181,667 Community Greening Transformation grant awarded by the Texas A&M Forest Service. That funding will support planting and giving away 5,000 trees across Longview to help restore a canopy affected by drought and extreme weather. City officials say the effort aims to lower surface temperatures, improve air quality, and increase long-term neighborhood shade. What is planned: - The project is funded by a $1,181,667 Community Greening Transformation grant from the Texas A&M Forest Service. - A total of 5,000 trees will be planted or given away across Longview. - About 4,250 trees are planned for five Census Block Groups identified as overburdened by high surface temperatures. - Partner organizations will distribute 750 free trees to residents for private property planting through the Longview Arboretum and Nature Center Keep Longview Beautiful. - A certified arborist will be hired to oversee procurement and long-term care, and adopters will receive care instructions, training videos, and in-person sessions. - Representatives from the City of Longview Parks and Recreation Department and the Texas A&M Forest Service will attend the Feb. 3 meeting to answer questions. Summary: City officials say the project is intended to help lower surface temperatures, improve air quality, and restore neighborhood canopy lost to heat and storms. The next public step is the Tree-Mendous Adoption Meeting on Feb. 3, where staff and agency representatives will outline planting events and the tree giveaway plan. Additional planting dates and specific distribution schedules were not listed in this release.