At its regular Tuesday meeting at 7 p.m., the Danville City Council will consider a budget amendment ordinance to accept state grant funds from the Virginia Department of Forestry. The $100,000 grant would be put toward a citywide tree-planting program, as Danville continues an initiative to expand its tree canopy.
This item is a first reading, meaning that the council will hear it for the first time and take no action at the meeting. A final vote will be taken at a future meeting.
The city has received funds through the Virginia Trees for Clean Water grant in the past, in 2022 and 2024. The 2026 grant of $100,000 requires a 50/50 match of local funds, which has been appropriated for this year’s fiscal budget, says the staff report in the meeting’s agenda packet.
“The Virginia Trees for Clean Water grant supports Public Work’s Grow in Danville Initiative, which is focused on improving the management and long-term sustainability of the city’s green spaces with tree planting as a central priority,” the report says.
Danville is participating in programs to “regreen” areas of the city as the area continues to experience growth and development, which is often associated with cutting trees down rather than planting them.
As part of the city’s 2026 tree-planting program, the public works department plans to plant 349 trees and 19 shrubs in public areas throughout Danville, the staff report says.
The city has organized these plantings into six projects: community engagement, residential street trees, medians and interchanges, city buildings, parks and schools.
The community engagement project will involve the public at tree plantings across several neighborhoods — Camp Grove, the Old West End and White Rock Hill — and at Ballou Park.
The residential street tree program will add trees to public rights of way or in front yards in residential areas.
The medians and interchanges part of the project will “mitigate urban heat along key transportation corridors,” specifically U.S. 58 East/South Boston Road, supporting “the city’s broader environmental and beautification goals,” the staff report says.
The city buildings project will include 10 trees planted around the picnic area at the Danville Welcome Center and 17 trees at the Danville Police Department, including two to replace those lost during a tornado in July 2023.
Several parks and schools have also been identified as locations for new trees based on data from the Green Infrastructure Center, a nonprofit that is working with Danville on its tree planting initiative.
“Half of Danville schools were identified to have 11% tree canopy or less,” the staff report says. “This project includes planting a tree at every Danville school for Arbor Day in 2026.”
City staff recommends that the council approve the budget amendment to allow for these grant funds, according to the staff report.
The city council meeting is the only government meeting scheduled in Danville this week. In Pittsylvania County, the board of supervisors will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday after a reorganizational meeting at 6 p.m.