A $1.084 million grant from the California Department of Forestry is making it possible for the city to plant 1,300 trees throughout the city in the coming year.

On Monday evening the Ceres City Council approved spending $96,995 worth of trees with California Landscape of Ceres; $89,275 worth of trees with West Coast Arborists; $174,598 for tree planting with Westside Landscape & Concrete; and a $217,000 agreement with West Coast Arborists to develop an Urban Forestry Management Plan.

Types of trees to be planted include Blue Oak, Interior Live Oak, Red Maple, Eastern Redbud, Crape Mytle, Australian Willow, Greek Strawberry and Carob.

Recreation Manager Joey Chavez told the council that the city will be scouting locations for the new tree plantings. He also noted that the city will post on its website a notice that any Ceres resident may ask for a street tree replacement to be planted in their front yard within the city right-of-way.

Vice Mayor Daniel Martinez said 300 will be given to the Ceres Unified School District for planting on campuses.

“I’m excited for this project – a thousand trees distributed throughout the city, 300 being spread out through our school district,” said Martinez. “And I know that a local Ceres company is going to be one of the companies we’ll be purchasing through.”

John Warren asked the city to consider location of trees in relation to stop signs, noting that a mature tree at the corner of 9th Street and Magnolia is blocking the stop sign view.

Ceres resident Dave Pratt said the plantings are a good thing but noted the city doesn’t have a lot of personnel to monitor the trees once they are planted. He said trees planted at Marie Neel Park have been ripped up and support poles have been knocked over.

“And some of the older trees, they want to destroy them for some reason,” said Pratt. “I guess they get their jollies off on that.”

He also said bushes planted at the park were removed or stolen.