MADISON – Governor Doyle announced today that forty-two Wisconsin communities and nonprofit organizations throughout the state are receiving grants totaling nearly $530,000 for community urban forestry projects. The grant funding will help support tree inventory and assessments, management plans, urban forest restoration projects, public education and other urban forestry efforts.
“Stewardship of our urban forests is as important to the quality of life for those who live in urban areas as management of our large public forests is,” Governor Doyle said. “Eighty percent of Wisconsin’s population lives in communities where forests exist in the form of parks, greenways, schoolyards, and backyards. These grants will provide funding to help local communities preserve and manage their green spaces that improve the quality of life for all who live there.”
This year, communities were encouraged to apply for grants to bolster their preparedness for emerald ash borer (EAB). EAB has caused extensive damage and loss of ash trees in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio and was recently found in northern Illinois and Upper Michigan. Several communities will use the grant to conduct an inventory of tree resources which is critical to early planning efforts for EAB, and it also provides the basic information on species composition which is necessary in planning and planting a diverse community forest. Wisconsin has approximately 5.2 million ash trees in its cities, villages and urban towns, and all are at risk according to foresters.
Seven communities received the maximum grant possible of $25,000. Grants can range from $1,000 to $25,000. Applicants must match each grant dollar for dollar. Applicants can be a city, village, town, county, tribal government or 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Urban Forestry Grant award recipients for 2008 are as follows:
· ALDO LEOPOLD NATURE CENTER (NONPROFIT) $11,477.00 - Emerald Ash Borer Education, Arbor Day Event & Invasive Species workshops
· BAYSIDE (VILLAGE) $14,724.00 - Tree maintenance
· BELOIT (CITY) $25,000.00 - Tree Inventory and software
· BLUE RIVER (VILLAGE) $12,197.50 - Tree planting, Invasive species workshops, Tree board development
· FRIENDS OF BOERNER BOTANICAL GARDENS (NONPROFIT) $18,352.50 - Information/Education-Brochures, Tree Planting Demonstration Area, Arbor Day Activities, Invasive Species Workshop/Training
· CLINTON (VILLAGE) $10,477.50 - EAB awareness, tree removal, tree planting, inventory, education
· COMBINED LOCKS (VILLAGE) $5,716.00 - Plan Development-management, Tree Inventory, Invasive Species Management
· DANE (COUNTY) $10,000.00 - EAB Management Plan
· DEERFIELD (VILLAGE) $12,150.00 - Plan Development-Management, Tree Pruning, Tree Removal, Tree Inventory
· DEFOREST (VILLAGE) $8,177.00 - Tree Inventory Update, Risk Assessment & Ash Tree
· FLORENCE (COUNTY) $6,192.50 - Florence County Invasive Species Education & Awareness
· FOND DU LAC (CITY) $6,869.00 - Street Tree Inventory & Staff Training
· FOREST CO. POTAWATOMI TRIBE (INDIAN TR) $25,000.00 - Urban Ash Resource Inventory & Hazard Tree Evaluation, Community Ash Tree Inventory, Risk Tree Assessment
· FRIENDS OF TROY GARDENS (NONPROFIT) $25,000.00 - Troy Gardens Natural Areas Learning Community Project
· GARDENS OF THE FOX CITIES, INC. (NONPROFIT) $25,000.00 - Creating a Living Classroom for Community Education in Urban Forestry
· GILMAN (VILLAGE) $1,316.50 - Urban Forestry and Emerald Ash Borer Education, Staff Training
· GREEN BAY (CITY) $14,492.50 - Street Tree Inventory for Emerald Ash Borer Management
· GREENING MILWAUKEE (NONPROFIT) $25,000.00 - Preparing and informing property owners for Emerald Ash Borer and other invasive species
· GREENVILLE (TOWN) $12,670.00 - Emerald Ash Borer Plan, Youth Council & Education
· FRIENDS OF KISHWAUKETOE NATURE CONSERVANCY (NONPROFIT) $10,080.00 - Plan Development-Management, Information/Education-Workshop, Staff Training, Tree Inventory
· LA CROSSE (CITY) $10,492.50 - Emerald Ash Borer detection survey / ash tree peeling, Plan Development sidewalk reconstruction / preventing construction damage, Rain garden construction
· LAKE GENEVA (CITY) $8,045.00 - GIS Tree Inventory Re-Inspection & Update, Invasive species, management plan, Tree inventory
· LISBON AVENUE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT (NONPROFIT) $1,751.25 - Urban Forestry & Environmental Service Learning
· LIVINGSTON (VILLAGE) $4,395.0 - Information/Education-Brochures, Tree Removal, Tree Planting, Tree Inventory
· MADISON (CITY) $22,365.00 Emerald Ash Borer Preparation & Arbor Day Events
· MANITOWOC (CITY) $25,000.00 Manitowoc Park Tree Inventory
· MARSHFIELD (CITY) $18,000.00 - Urban Forestry Preparedness Plan, Tree Inventory
· MEQUON (CITY) $10,000.00 - Identify Ash Tree Canopy by Satellite Imagery Technology to produce an aerial map
· MILWAUKEE (CITY) $25,000.00 - Emerald Ash Borer Information/Education-Signage, Tree Inventory
· MILWAUKEE (COUNTY) $14,353.50 - Emerald Ash Borer Preparedness Planning, Invasive Species, Management Plan, Tree Inventory, Tree Nursery
· OCONTO (CITY) $4,405.00 - Plan development-Management Arbor Day Activities, Tree Inventory, Invasive Species Management
· OSHKOSH (CITY) $5,194.50 - Conduct an Inventory of Park Trees and Create a City-wide EAB Response Plan
· OZAUKEE WASHINGTON LAND TRUST (NONPROFIT) $20,212.00 - Forest Management Plan, Volunteer Training, and Public Relations
· SAUK (COUNTY) $5,660.25 - Tree Pruning, Tree Removal, Tree Maintenance, Tree Planting, Tree Inventory, Invasive Species, Management
· SAUKVILLE (VILLAGE) $3,375.00 - Geographic Information System (GIS) Tree Inventory
· SHOREWOOD HILLS (VILLAGE) $4,236.00 - Emerald Ash Borer Readiness Plan Implementation and Education
· SPARTA (CITY) $24,413.00 - Emerald Ash Borer Preparation, Boulevard Tree Planting, trimming & Removal, Ash Tree Inventory & Management Plan, EAB Detection Survey / Ash Tree Peeling, Consultant - Inventory & EAB Plan
· STOUGHTON (CITY) $13,000.00 - Emerald Ash Borer Readiness Plan, Information/Education-Brochures, Staff Training
· SUPERIOR (CITY) $8,750.00 - Superior Urban Forestry Strategic Plan Update, EAB awareness
· UNITY (VILLAGE) $3,873.00 - Village of Unity Beautification and Education Project, Site preparation, Tree Planting, Staff Training
· WEST ALLIS (CITY) $13,981.00 - Inventory Update and Mapping of Ash Street Trees
· WESTON (VILLAGE) $3,506.00 - Tree Inventory, Tree Ordinance, and EAB Preparedness Plan
