The DNR’s Urban Forestry program is excited to unveil a mapping application which provides a new way of viewing and learning about trees in your community. Wisconsin Community Tree Map is a browser-based application that maps community tree inventories. This means no special software is needed to run the application.
The application is one of a variety of tools to help assess and raise awareness across the state about the species diversity, age, size, health and utility of urban forests. For more information on the Wisconsin Urban Forest Assessment program, visit the web page.
The tree map offers tools that help users maximize the usefulness of available tree data. Many attributes are documented for each tree, such as species, diameter, condition (health) and land use, empowering the user to ask and answer important questions.
Using the Street View and Eco-Benefits tool within the Wisconsin Community Tree Map.
For example, if somebody wanted to identify where large, healthy ash trees are located in parks, they could easily filter their community’s data in the program to help guide decisions. Managers and other stakeholders interested in explaining the extent and benefit of the urban forest will appreciate the application’s ability to make charts and graphs that could be inserted into presentations and reports. Customized maps can be saved and printed, and spreadsheets and ArcGIS shapefiles can also be exported for further analysis and exploration.
The application is also connected to the U.S. Forest Service’s i-Tree database of environmental benefits, enabling users to quantify the annual benefits of individual or groups of trees through their ability to improve air quality, reduce energy use, increase property values and control storm water.
There are currently inventories from 38 communities incorporated into Wisconsin Community Tree Map, totaling over 350,000 trees, and that number is increasing. Communities that want to upload or update their inventories, or are interested in creating one, should contact DNRUrbanForestryAssessment@wisconsin.gov.
Additionally, training opportunities will be available for communities wishing to learn more about how to use Wisconsin Community Tree Map. If interested in a training opportunity, please contact DNRUrbanForestryAssessment@wisconsin.gov by August 31.
For more information contact Ellen Clark (EllenA.Clark@Wisconsin.gov), Urban Forestry Communication Specialist, at 608-267-2774.