Thanks to Alabama Power, Columbiana will soon be a &8220;shadier&8221; place to live and work.

Recently, the Alabama Power Foundation and the Alabama Urban Forestry Association teamed up to award grants to local communities to buy trees through the Community Forestry Program.

Shelby County Facilities and General Services and the City of Columbiana are two of the groups that received money from the eight-year-old program.

&8220;Our quality of life in Alabama is enhanced by the planting of trees in our parks, schoolyards and various public places,&8221; said Charles McCrary, president and CEO of Alabama Power. &8220;We are proud to help local communities in this effort.&8221;

This year, the Community Forestry Program is providing $60,000 in grants to communities and organizations throughout the state. During the past eight years, more than $400,000 in grants has been distributed to more than 300 cities, counties, schools and community groups.

&8220;We are proud to be a part of a program that encourages communities to value the trees in and around their cities,&8221; said Cleve Formwalt, president of the Alabama Urban Forestry Association.

&8220;This program makes it possible for these communities to further develop their urban forests and to get involved in projects that help beautify their cities.&8221;

The Community Forestry Program is designed to encourage the planting of trees in urban and community settings. Many communities pair tree grants with federal funds that can be used for projects such as tree-planting master plans or tree inventories.

The Alabama Power Foundation works to improve the quality of life of Alabamians and strengthen the communities in which they live. Since 1990, the foundation has granted more than $90 million to worthy projects across Alabama.