Mentor Awarded Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant

Press release from the City of Mentor:

October 13, 2020

The City of Mentor has been awarded a grant in the amount of $70,511.76 through the USDA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative towards the purchase of 225 1.5-caliper trees to be planted at Springbrook Gardens Park (200) and the Mentor Civic Center campus (25). The City will meet the $17,627.94 match requirements of this program through in-kind contributions, including watering and maintenance for the trees.

The purpose of this project is to intercept rainfall and reduce storm water runoff. The selected native species will consist Black Oak, Scarlet Oak, Black Walnut, Bitternut Hickory, Bur Oak, and Eastern Red Bud. These species were chosen due to their ability to maximize infiltration and filtration of runoff.

Springbrook Gardens Park is a 53-acre former nursery which was purchased by the City of Mentor in 2014 with the intent of creating a passive-use park. To date, improvements have included the installation of strategic mounds, expansion and grading of a 3-acre pond, installation of 1.7 miles of paved walking trails and a boardwalk over the pond, and native grass plantings. Recently, work was also completed on Phase 1 of a stream restoration project which created approximately 3-acres of wetlands to help reduce storm runoff and improve the wildlife habitat.

Planting is expected to begin this upcoming spring. This project is being administered through a partnership with Chagrin River Watershed Partners and the Lake County Soil & Water Conservation District.

This press release was produced by the City of Mentor.The views expressed here are the author’s own.