SALAMANCA — Two trees recently planted at the Highland Avenue Playground were dedicated Thursday, July 23 as part of a grant from the New York State Urban Forestry Council to bring four new trees into the city of Salamanca.

City grant administrator Sandi Brundage said she applied for the grant in January, and the city was awarded the grant in February. The city worked with Schichtel’s Nursery in Springville to get the trees.

“This is the first step towards getting us closer to becoming designated a Tree City USA, which is on our radar screen,” she said.

The two trees planted at the Highland playground are oaks, Brundage said. There is also one new oak at the Youth Center, which replaced one of the Dogwood trees that a storm took out in 2018. A Hawthorn tree was also planted along the access road to Crowley Park.

The city was also recently awarded a $100,000 grant from Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation as part of phase three of the Highland playground project to complete a restroom facility and fill in the ditch at the playground.

Brundage said the city will be meeting at the site on Monday, prior to putting the projects out to bid, in order to detail the specifics of the job.