Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2020

39 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestofMP.com feature A town is known by the trees it keeps. In Mount Pleasant, live oaks draped with Spanish moss, palmettos and other species add to the charm of the community for residents and visitors. Of course, trees have benefits beyond the visual; they help prevent soil erosion, lessen flooding, reduce pollution and reduce noise. Mount Pleasant takes its trees seriously, as evidenced by the town receiving the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA designation for the past three decades. In keeping with its green consciousness, the Town of Mount Pleasant maintains a tree bank matching grant program for those who desire to beautify and enhance the town by planting trees within publicly accessible areas, such as street right-of-ways, public parks, school yards, residential common areas and churches. Funding for the program is derived from contributions by developers and builders who have to remove trees as part of projects. A tree bank grant primarily provides funds for the planting of trees that grow to be large, or what are referred to as canopy trees. The town provides 50% of the cost incurred with the planting of trees, which comes in the form of a reimbursement once a project is completed. The grant provided by the town is limited to between $500 and $2,000. The program has been used very little in recent years, according to Eddie Bernard, city planner. “We’re not really sure why interest has fallen off, but we have had only one or two applications in recent years. Perhaps developers have been more pro-active in ensuring that canopy trees are not removed if possible or they are replacing trees that are taken down with new ones.” The application process is also somewhat detailed. The Mount Pleasant Special Events Office coordinates the grant process with the town’s Culture, Arts & Pride (CAP) Commission, which reviews grant applications and selects proposals that meet guidelines. The program is offered twice a year during the planting season, with grant deadlines being Feb. 1 and Oct. 31. Generally, the primary criteria for selection will be those applications that impact the greatest number of Mount Pleasant residents. Development companies cannot apply, nor will applications be received from persons or businesses for the purpose of fulfilling green space/landscape requirements established by the Town. “We encourage all eligible groups in Mount Pleasant to utilize this program to help plant more trees and keep our town beautifully green,” said Nicole Harvey, special events manager who coordinates the CAP Commission’s efforts. Each applicant must provide three copies of the following information: a tree bank application, cost proposal, description of public benefit, depiction of the project location and layout, a list identifying the type of trees to be planted and their size, a maintenance plan, photograph(s) of the project area and a signed letter from a homeowners association, church, school or residents adjacent to the proposed planting area indicating support for the project. A tree list from the Mount Pleasant Zoning Code is provided as a guideline for the types of canopy trees that are recommended. Applications are available on the CAP Commission page at tompsc.com or at the Special Events Office at the RL Jones Center at 391 Egypt Road. For additional information, call 843-884-2528. BY JOHN TORSIELLO Growing a Greener Mount Pleasant Photo by Tonya McGue.