ATC has some communities planning for spring planting

There may be ice and snow outside, but it’s not too early to think about planting – and many communities are getting some help from ATC. Through our Community Planting Program, we awarded 33 communities a total of $55,000 to plant trees and other vegetation on public property outside of the transmission line right-of-way.

To qualify, these communities committed to complying with ATC’s maintenance standards for all current and future planting plans and urban forestry activities near high-voltage electric transmission lines. The recipients received funding ranging from $500 to $4,000 for planting projects in communities where ATC facilities exist.

The 2014 Community Planting Program funding recipients include the following Wisconsin communities:

Algoma	Lisbon	Rib Mountain
Amherst	Manitowoc	Rhinelander
Bayside	Menasha	Spencer
Bellevue	Mequon	Stevens Point
Bristol	Merrill	Waterford
Brooklyn	Oakdale	Waukesha
Cambridge	Oconto	Waupaca
Fond du Lac	Ozaukee County	Wescott
Fort Atkinson	Pittsville	Wilson
Gilman	Prairie du Chien	Winnebago County
Kenosha County	Princeton	Wisconsin Rapids

ATC’s Community Planting Program is part of our Grow Smart initiative – a program that promotes planting only low-growing, native vegetation near transmission line rights-of-way to help ensure public safety and the reliability of the electric system.
 

Need some more spring planting inspiration? Check out this video from the Milwaukee Co. Zoo’s Party for the Planet, where a Milwaukee-area Boy Scout troop helped replace invasive species with dozens of trees.