Some 400 trees are set to get planted along the city of Dunkirk streets through a grant program.

The city received a $158,313 grant from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation’s Urban Forestry program, said Planning and Development Director Vince DeJoy Tuesday. DeJoy was speaking to a meeting of the Common Council’s Economic Development Committee, chaired by Councilwoman Natalie Luczkowiak.

The grant is non-matching – meaning the city will pay nothing for the project.

“We have vacant spots identified,” DeJoy said. “We’re probably going to do 100 trees this fall, 100 in the spring” and so on until all are planted. The city has two years to plant the trees.

“We’re about to onboard a SUNY Fredonia business student as an intern forestry coordinator,” DeJoy said. “We will provide him with the software to manage the process.” The student also has experience in landscaping.

The grant will pay for the software and will also cover the intern’s compensation.

About 2,000 possible spots for new trees have been identified throughout the city. “We’re not just going to plop a tree in front of your house and say, ‘Thank you very much,'” DeJoy said. “We won’t force trees on anyone.”

The intern will coordinate with homeowners and the tree nursery on planting sites. DeJoy said the city will have to bid out the job of providing the trees; the bid request should be out within a couple weeks.

DeJoy also wants to use the intern and the software to help manage a separate DEC-funded tree program at Point Gratiot Park. That initiative is supposed to add 150 trees to the park.

DeJoy added that he wants to form a Tree Advisory Committee for the city. Luczkowiak volunteered to be on the committee.