NROCC To Plant 30,000 Trees Over Four Years

The National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC) is planning to plant more than 30,000 trees in the next three to four years.

In an interview with JIS News, Environmental Manager at NROCC, Errol Mortley, explained that this tree-planting initiative is tied to the Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project.

He said the project will have a significant impact on trees, so as a part of the permit conditions, the company is required to plant trees, so the team will, over the three to four years, plant trees as they work.

Mr. Mortley explained that a pilot project was started along the North South Highway in January where 400 trees were planted. “We introduced the Blue Mahoe, Spanish Elm and Poui and, so far, that project is going fairly well.

We have about an 85 per cent success rate and with some impending rain, we’ll probably get better,” he said.

The project was a partnership with the Rotaract Club of the University of the West Indies.

“We partnered with the youngsters from that club. We put in those trees on the North South Highway in the vicinity of the Linstead Toll Plaza,” Mr. Mortley noted.

“We also had support from the Jamaica North South Highway Company, which actually assisted us in making the preparation and we are now identifying other areas along the North South Highway and areas along the East West Highway, so we can put in these trees,” the Environmental Manager added.

Mr. Mortley pointed out that where land has been acquired and fruit trees removed for the purpose of construction along the May Pen to Williamsfield leg of Highway 2000, the company is now looking at a programme for the replacement of fruit trees.

“We are looking at about 500 trees within that zone, because that’s a typical farming area. Having lost ackee, mango and breadfruit trees, we’re trying to see how we can work with the community to implement some of those measures to have them replaced,” he said.

This project, Mr. Mortley said, “will help to augment some of the issues where we’ve actually removed trees for the highway construction, not only to put in forest trees but also ornamental trees like the pink poui, the yellow poui, which will give some colour to the highway”.

He gave the commitment that NROCC is fully on board with this initiative and that the company is seeking partners for the journey.

“We seek to engage other social groups, social clubs and community groups to partner with us as we partner with the Forestry Department to plant these trees over the next few years,” he said.

The project is a part of the Prime Minister’s Three Million Trees Initiative, which is aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change and represents a tree being planted for every Jamaican.