Buffalo -- The October Surprise Storm of 2006 destroyed or damaged the most of trees throughout the City of Buffalo, including trees in city parks, which encompasses the landmark Frederick Law Olmsted-designed park system. It is estimated that the storm damaged 80 percent to 90 percent of the nearly 12,000 trees in the Olmsted Park and Parkway System, which at one time had 40,000 trees.

In an effort to assist the Conservancy in its continuing effort to restore the Olmsted-designed parks to their pre-Storm condition, Mayor Byron Brown Wednesday announced the City of Buffalo would provide a $202,165 grant that will support the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy’s reforestation program.

The Buffalo Olmsted Parks System is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the ongoing reforestation activity will contribute to restoring the historic natural beauty for which the park system is renowned.  In addition, the grant will enable the Conservancy to invest needed resources into the restoration of community jewels such as the Delaware Park Rose Garden, the Delaware Park Casino Steps, the Soldiers Circle and the Martin Luther King Jr. Park Greenhouse Garden.

The city grant will be used to restore the areas of the Olmsted Parks System mentioned above, as well as to provide funding for maintenance and upkeep of reforestation and landscaping projects beginning in 2008.  It is estimated that between 1,600 and 2,300 trees must be planted to return the Olmsted System to pre-storm conditions. Four hundred trees were planted in the spring and another 200 will be planted this fall on November 3rd and November 10th.