School District Receives $100,000 for Tree Planting
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Environment Now, the conservation group founded by the late Walt Disney Co. President Frank G. Wells, gave $100,000 Thursday in support of a plan to plant trees and grass at Los Angeles public schools.
Mary Nichols, executive director of Environment Now, said the gift to the urban forestry group TreePeople is a challenge to the Los Angeles Unified School District and other local nonprofit groups to commit funds for the greening of schools.
TreePeople President Andy Lipkis, along with three other beautification groups, has proposed to substitute greenery for asphalt on school grounds that are being resurfaced under the Proposition BB school repair and construction bond approved by the voters in April.
Lipkis has said the groups, which include the Hollywood Beautification Project, Northeast Trees and the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, hope to do much of the planting with donations and volunteer work.
The bond oversight committee set up by the bond measure has embraced the idea, but BB funds--to be used exclusively for construction--cannot be used for the estimated $2.5-million needed annually to maintain the new vegetation.
The proposal is scheduled to be considered Nov. 6 by the Los Angeles Board of Education.
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