NEAT STREETS MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AWARDS 2023 GROWING ROOTS FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY EQUITABLE NEIGHBORHOODS (GREEN) MIAMI-DADE COUNTY TO NORTH BAY VILLAGE

NEAT STREETS MIAMI-DADE COUNTY AWARDS 2023 GROWING ROOTS FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY EQUITABLE NEIGHBORHOODS (GREEN) MIAMI-DADE COUNTY TO NORTH BAY VILLAGE

Let’s grow some GREEN!

North Bay Village, August 25, 2023, In an effort to expand Miami-Dade County’s tree canopy by leveraging local resources, Neat Streets Miami-Dade County awarded North Bay Village a 2023 GREEN Miami-Dade County Matching Grant for its North Bay Village Urban Reforestation Project in the amount of $44,801. In its eighth year, Neat Streets Miami-Dade County awarded 17 organizations with matching grants to GREEN up public lands in our county and advance the Million Trees Miami-Dade County initiative, a community- wide effort to achieve a 30 percent overall tree canopy.

“As the Chair of Neat Streets Miami-Dade County, I am excited to work alongside our municipal partners, including North Bay Village, to increase our countywide tree canopy,” said County Commissioner Eileen Higgins. “Never before have we awarded so much money to such a diverse pool of applicants. The investments in public land will go a long way in reaching our 30% urban tree canopy goal, making a real difference in the health and beauty of our community.”

“The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The next best time is today,” said North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham, “With help from Neat Streets Miami-Dade County’s matching grant program, North Bay Village has planted hundreds of trees around our community. We’re on the way to transforming our city from a tree desert to well-canopied oasis, helping to mitigate the effects of climate change and increasing temperatures.”

As part of this project, North Bay Village will plant Gumbo Limbo trees to provide shade and beautify their community. The project is a continuation of the North Bay Village Urban Reforestation Project, which will plant 68 Gumbo Limbo trees along Harbor and Treasure Island. The primary beneficiaries of this project are the residents and visitors of North Bay Village, students attending Treasure Island Elementary School, and families, especially children, visiting Phillip Schonberger Memorial Playground. North Bay Village is an island community that is densely populated with limited green spaces. This reforestation effort continues to advance to the Village’s tree strategy by providing beautiful and shaded pathways for pedestrians, reducing urban heat islands, and providing nature-based stormwater mitigation.

Made possible through the County’s Tree Trust Fund, preference was given to areas with low tree canopy and low-to-moderate income populations.

About Million Trees Miami-Dade County and Neat Streets Miami-Dade County:

Launched by Neat Streets Miami-Dade County, the Million Trees Miami-Dade County initiative is a community-wide effort to achieve a 30 percent tree canopy cover for Miami-Dade County. Neat Streets Miami-Dade County is a multi-jurisdictional board dedicated to the promotion of ecological and human health by creating and maintaining sustainable, beautiful, clean, and environmentally equitable spaces countywide.

About Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces

Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of more than 285 parks and 40,000+ acres of parks and natural areas,

comprised of active, passive parklands and nature preserves. It is one of the most unique park and

recreation sy tems in the world and focused on placemaking, health and fitness, and conservation and

stewardship.

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North Bay Village is leading the way in environmental stewardship, we are uniquely positioned geographically and philosophically to tackle environmental issues facing our region. NBV is on the frontlines of sea level rise and climate resilience is a survival issue for us, not just a talking point. The Village received the Master Plan of the Year Award by the countywide and statewide chapters of the American Planning Association. The NBV100 Plan includes key pillars related to

taking proactive measures on climate change and embracing the waterfront.