In August 2009, as part of its commitment to the environment, Salem pledged to offset any loss of natural riparian areas along the river due to construction of the Roanoke River Greenway.
Now that the greenway is in place, fulfilling that goal has become a priority for the city. This weekend, volunteers from all around Salem, representing a wide variety of organizations and age groups, will assist city staff members by planting 205 seedlings along the trail.
The volunteer groups include: The Salem Garden Club, The Salem Rotary Club, Salem High School, Roanoke College Earthbound, Roanoke Tree Stewards, Novozymes Biologicals and the Virginia Department of Forestry.
At maturity, this new area will offset any vegetation that was removed during the construction process, making building the greenway as impact-neutral to the river, as possible.
“The Roanoke River is a great natural resource for all of us, and the ever-expanding greenway is allowing more and more people to enjoy this treasure, “ says Salem Mayor Randy Foley “By planting these trees, we’re minimizing any impact the greenway construction may have had on the river’s eco-system.”
The tree planting ceremony will be held on the greenway, near the intersection of Orchard Dr. and East Riverside Dr. It will begin at 9:45 a.m. with comments by the Mayor. Last Saturday, volunteers installed plants along the riverbank in Riverside Park to stabilize that area and, hopefully, prevent erosion along that section of the greenway.
CONTACT:
Benjamin W. Tripp
City Planner
City of Salem
PH: 540-375-4001
btripp@salemva.gov
Mike Stevens
City of Salem
Communications Director
(540)375-4112 office
(540)353-2041 cell
mstevens@salemva.gov
Posts
I was wondering what types of trees were planted along the river. I am loving the greenway...I've gotten great pictures.
Check out yesterday's -- butterflies sunning along the river.
http://mselenaeouspics.blogspot.com/