Latest news with #UrbanForestryManagementPlan
Chicago Tribune
13-05-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Grant funding supports 50 new trees in Indian Head Park
A $25,000 matching grant to support the planting of more than 50 trees on public property in the fall and next spring is a perfect fit for Indian Head Park. The village has been a Tree City USA community for 35 years, a designation by the Arbor Day Foundation, which has a mission of inspiring people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. 'The village values its wildlife and the beauty of nature,' said Joe Coons, Indian Head Park's director of Public Works. 'Also, the village has a no fence ordinance in place, so planting trees becomes even more important for screening and beautification.' The grant funding is provided by the Urban and Community Forestry Programs of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service – Eastern Region. The village has allocated an additional $25,000 from the approved 2025/2026 budget to support the project. The program is administered by The Morton Arboretum's Chicago Region Trees Initiative, which supports urban forestry planning and implementation efforts throughout the region. 'This grant allows Indian Head Park to continue our legacy of environmental stewardship by strengthening our urban tree canopy for generations to come,' Village President Amy Jo Wittenberg said in a statement. 'As a Tree City USA community for 35 years, proactive tree management and canopy enhancement remain top priorities. These new trees will improve quality of life and build resilience against environmental stressors, pests and diseases.' Urban Tree Canopy is the leafy, green, overhead cover from trees that community groups, residents, and local governments maintain in the landscape for beauty, shade, fruit production, wildlife habitat, energy conservation, stormwater mitigation and a host of public health and educational values, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 'A good tree canopy not only makes the community beautiful, but it also helps with keeping temperatures cooler during the summer months,' Coons said. 'It also helps with flood mitigation.' Coons said the planting locations for the additional trees will be identified using the village's in-progress Urban Forestry Management Plan, which includes a detailed tree inventory report. 'The inventory will evaluate tree quantity, species, condition, and size, helping guide reforestation decisions and tree maintenance strategies into the future,' he said. Coons said the village usually tries to plant at least 20 trees per year. The grant will allow Indian Head Park to plant more trees than otherwise would be the case, he said. Newly planted trees will be a mix of replacements for existing trees and additional ones. Indian Head Park is one of 186 places in Illinois that have received the Tree City USA designation.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Effingham's efforts to protect its trees
The City of Effingham was awarded $50,000 last year from the Morton Arboretum to complete an inventory of the city's trees, develop an Urban Forestry Management Plan with the community's input, remove dead trees and plant trees in disadvantaged areas. This ordinance is only for trees on public property, not private. One of the requirements for the grant is adopting a Tree Preservation Policy, which Public Works Director Jeremy Heuerman presented during Tuesday's City Council meeting. The ordinance, provided by and approved by Morton Arboretum, identifies how to preserve trees, how to prune them, what the city's regulations are for planting and protecting them, how to properly remove them, how to preserve legacy trees, where to properly place trees, how to properly care for them and more. 'It's a full ordinance basically to regulate how we operate with trees in our public right of way, remove, replace and get recommendations on a more diverse species, so we're not just removing anything and everything out there,' said Heuerman. The ordinance also says that people may be fined if they violate any of the provisions outlined in it. Heuerman said the ordinance goes hand-in-hand with an Urban Forestry Management Plan, which is being drafted. This will outline how the city will properly care for trees and the city's goals, like different tree plantings and community plantings. It will also identify areas that lack trees, also known as disadvantaged areas. The community plantings will be through a soon-to-be-formed volunteer program. After finalizing the initial data for the Urban Forestry Management Plan and the Tree Preservation Policy, the city plans to advertise the community plantings, which will be open to the public for volunteers or other community groups like Girl Scouts and garden clubs. According to Heuerman, there are 1,902 trees in Effingham, and most of them are on private property. Since the Ordinance is only for trees on public property, private landowners will be encouraged to plant a variety of tree species, as well as recommended planting locations and pruning methods. This information will be in the Urban Forestry Management Plan. City Administrator Steve Miller commended Heuerman's work on this because he says the city has had trouble in the past with trees getting cut down. Once the Urban Forestry Management Plan is finalized, it and the already-completed tree inventory will be brought to the City Council for approval. 'The ordinance is a great step in the right direction to better protect and preserve our urban forest,' said Heuerman. 'Having access to [a] Certified Arborist to give us professional advice is a great asset for our community. The ordinance puts the rules and policies in our Municipal Code, which not only allows enforcement but also gives direction and recommendations on correct methods for tree preservation. The best part is all of this work is 100% grant funded. It will be a great tool for Effingham to not only [use] in the immediate future but also as a guide for years to come.'
