For Immediate Release	Contact:	Kevin Smith
February 7, 2004		619-236-6616 Cell

Councilmember Donna Frye Plants 27 Trees in Linda Vista

Trees will beatify Linda Vista Town Center

San Diego, CA - Councilmember Donna Frye will kickoff a tree planting in Linda Vista beginning at 8:30am on February 7, 2004. The planting, in conjunction with Urban Corps of San Diego and the Linda Vista community, will provide Linda Vista Town Center with twenty-seven Ficus trees at the corner of Comstock Street and Linda Vista Road, which will be planted by Urban Corps forestry workers with some assistance by community volunteers.

"It is vital that we continue to plant trees throughout our communities and neighborhoods," commented Councilmember Frye, "By continuing to plant trees throughout the district, we not only beautify the community, but also help to abate the problem of urban heat islands and assist in the prevention of unnecessary runoff. Planting trees along public streets has even been proven to slow the speed of traffic passing through the neighborhood, thus contributing to the safety of our community."

The tree planting is part of the City of San Diego's Community Forest Initiative. The goal of the program is to create a living community forest throughout San Diego. "The aspect of this program that makes it such a wonderful success is the participation by community members" said Frye, "It really helps to create a sense of community involvement throughout San Diego." The program calls for 5,000 trees to be planted each year for 20 years throughout San Diego, culminating in the planting of 100,000 trees.

Councilmember Frye has been a vocal advocate of beautifying our neighborhoods by creating an urban forest. She has been active in the effort to plant trees in District Six by targeting Ashford Street and Lindbergh Park in Clairemont, Mission Village Drive in Serra Mesa and Morena Boulevard in the Linda Vista/Clairemont area for sizeable plantings.

Urban Corps of San Diego is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide job training and educational opportunities to young adults, in the fields of conservation, recycling and community service which will assist youth in becoming more employable, while protecting San Diego's natural resources and installing the importance of community involvement.

# # #