A healthy urban forest ecosystems improves the quality of the water we drink, the air we breathe, the stability of our neighborhoods, and our sense of community and individual pride.
The DCR Bureau of Forest Fire Control and Forestry Urban and Community Forestry crews, hired within local communities, plant trees in target neighborhoods to increase tree canopy cover for environmental and energy efficiency benefits.
Target Areas
This program, concentrated in Environmental Justice neighborhoods, targets areas within gateway cities that have lower tree canopy, older housing stock, higher wind speeds, and a larger renter population. GGCP is currently active in Brockton, Chelsea, Chicopee, Fall River, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lynn, New Bedford, Pittsfield, Quincy, Revere and Springfield.
Additional Resources for Target Areas
Join the Team
You can make a difference in your community by joining the Greening the Gateway Cities planting team. Increasing the urban canopy will help save energy, protect air and water quality, and improve overall community health.
Apply to join the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Greening the Gateway Cities urban tree planting program!
Tree planting laborer opportunities are available each spring (April-June) and fall (September-November) planting seasons in the following cities:
| Brockton | Chelsea | Chicopee |
| Fall River | Haverhill | Holyoke |
| Leominster | Lynn | New Bedford |
| Pittsfield | Quincy | Revere |
For more information, contact Allison Smith at 617-626-1774 or Allison.P.Smith@ma.state.us
Additional Resources for Join the Team
Contact Your Local GGCP Office
The GGCP operates all year long. Call your local GGCP office to determine if you are eligible or to schedule an appointment. Leave your name, address (including city), and telephone number.
| For Brockton, call 617-626-1503 | For Holyoke call 617-626-1473 |
| For Chelsea call 617-626-1459 | For Leominster call 617-626-1514 |
| For Chicopee call 617-626-1473 | For Lynn call 617-626-1502 |
| For Fall River call 617-997-1795 | For Pittsfield call 617-626-1515 |
| For Haverhill call 617-626-1516 | For Revere call 617-626-1459 |
| For Springfield call 413-736-3111 |
For other locations, call 617-626-1774
Program of Partnerships
The Greening the Gateway Cities Program (GGCP) is a partnership between the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), Massachusetts Gateway Cities and local nonprofit organizations.
Below please find a list of our partners.