San Diego officials are scheduled to announce Thursday that they are embarking on a program to plant 500 trees in Balboa Park over the next two years, thanks in part to a $378,000 state grant.
Cal Fire provided the funding to the city and Balboa Park Conservancy. With matching funds from the city, more than $700,000 will be spent on the program.
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"With each new tree we plant, we are making Balboa Park greener and our air cleaner," said Mayor Kevin Faulconer. "This partnership is another example of San Diego's strong commitment to addressing climate change by taking action at the local level."
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The initiative will also involve installing energy-efficient irrigation, creating a volunteer tree steward program and result in outreach to educate youth on urban forestry, according to the mayor's office.
