On Saturday, Mayor Jane Castor hosts a major tree giveaway for the residents of Tampa meant to support her efforts in sustainability for the Bay area.
Registration is now open to snag one of the 1,000 trees that will be given out on April 23. Pickup will be held from 9 a.m.-noon at Sulphur Springs Pool parking lot located at 715 E Bird St. Depending on availability, you can choose between red maple, bald cypress, or winged elm—which can grow to heights between 45-81 feet, so make sure you have plenty of room to spare in your backyard before applying.
The City of Tampa requests that those eligible picks up their tree with a vehicle capable of safely transporting a 6 to 10-foot unit.
City of Tampa’s Sustainability and Resilience officer Whit Remer praises Tampa’s flourishing urban tree canopies in a press release, and that this project intends to maintain the landscape. But after a 2019 law barred regulation of tree removal, this project could be an attempt at damage control.
House Bill 1159 reversed a tree ordinance considered to be a compromise between nature advocates and home builders of the Bay. It made room for unregulated uprooting as it prohibits local governments from requiring tree re-planting. The original ordinance attempted to keep this in check according to the Tampa Bay Times.
This article appears in Apr 14-20, 2022.