The City of Laurel has been selected as a ‘Green Community.’

Because of this selection, the Mississippi Urban Forest Council has selected the City of Laurel to receive a $1,000 matching grant for model plantings, as part of the Green Communities in Rural Mississippi Campaign.

Jacqueline Lee, director of Laurel Express, said the local Main Street Program is coordinating the model project and will be using the grant to plant trees along the east end of Central Avenue in the historic district of downtown Laurel.

In March, the City of Laurel officially became designated as a Mississippi Main Street community.

Officials said the grant will just go along with various other improvements being made to the city’s downtown.

Lee said because it is a matching grant, the City of Laurel is also providing $1,000 for this improvement project. She said Coleman Nursery in Moselle also made some in-kind donations to help with the project.

Lee said the grant project is allowing some beautification improvements to be made to the downtown area.

Cynthia Rahaim, an independent contract arborist, said officials had to grind up tree stumps along Central Avenue.

“They are grinding up the stumps where we lost trees in the past,” she said. “Once that’s done, the replanting of other trees occurs.”

Lee said Laurel Express is coordinating the model project.

“Many of the trees that once stood in downtown were destroyed during Hurricane Katrina and have not been replaced,” she said. “Other trees have become overgrown and pose a threat to buildings and infrastructure.”

Lee said the model grant allows for the purchase of “trees that are appropriate for an urban setting, with a less invasive root structure and an overall smaller scale.”

Lee said Little Gem Magnolia Trees have been identified as the trees to be used as a part of this project. She said if funding allows, some ornamental grates will also be purchased to go around the bottom of the new trees.

Officials said the state grant allows cities to address green infrastructure challenges faced by many rural communities due to revitalization, limited resources and other challenges.

According to Lee, the State of Mississippi was selected last year for this national model project due to Mississippi’s leadership in the Conference of Black Mayors.