Urban Forestry News

Forest Health Team Offers Seven New Fact Sheets, Updates Website

Posted on by akabelowsky
A preview of the new Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health fact sheet on spongy moth.

A preview of the new Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Forest Health fact sheet on spongy moth. Graphic Credit: Wisconsin DNR

By Art Kabelowsky, DNR Outreach/Communications Specialist, Fitchburg; Arthur.Kabelowsky@wisconsin.gov or 608-335-0167

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Forest Health team has debuted seven new fact sheets, providing information on various forest insects and diseases as well as tips on how to deal with their emergence on your property.

The new fact sheets provide details on spongy moth, oak wilt management, spruce budworm, jack pine budworm, tamarack insects (larch casebearer and eastern larch beetle), red pine pocket decline and mortality and a comparison of common spring defoliator caterpillars (forest tent caterpillar, eastern tent caterpillar and spongy moth).

Additionally, the Forest Health team has updated and/or refreshed the look of its 13 existing fact sheets.

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Applications For Urban Forestry Grants Are Now Open!

Posted on by patricialindquist

Cities, villages, towns, counties, tribes and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in or conducting their project in Wisconsin can apply for a regular or startup 2024 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry Grant.

The grants range from $1,000 to $25,000, and grant recipients must match each grant dollar for dollar. A startup grant of up to $5,000 is available for communities that want to start or restart a community forestry program. Grants are awarded to projects that align with state and national goals for increasing the urban forest canopy and its benefits.

The recent Governor’s 2023-25 Biennial Budget increased funding to urban forestry grants by $350,000 over the biennium. In 2024, the annual allotment will increase by $175,000 to further fund Urban Forestry projects. Also available this grant cycle is an additional $145,000 in federal funding to be used for emerald ash borer treatment and ash tree removals and replacements. In total, $806,680 is currently available in regular and startup grant funding for 2024, with an additional $139,920 in reserve for catastrophic storm grants.

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Students Graduate From The Community Tree Management Institute

Posted on by patricialindquist

Congratulations to the latest class of CTMI graduates!

The Wisconsin Community Tree Management Institute (CTMI) wrapped up its fifth class mid-June. CTMI is an advanced training course designed specifically for people responsible for urban forest management who do not have a degree and/or experience in urban forestry. Conversely, they may have the technical skills, but lack the leadership and management experience.

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DNR Urban Forestry Welcomes New Interns

Posted on by patricialindquist

The DNR Urban Forestry team is excited to welcome two urban forestry interns to the Milwaukee office for eight weeks this summer. This is the second year of a collaborative program between the department, the USDA Forest Service, Southern University and A&M College, a public historically black land-grant university (HBCU) in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Get to know our new interns, Deron Isom and Jada Walden, from their bios below.

Deron Isom will be graduating this spring from Southern University and A&M College’s Urban Forestry and Natural Resources Department. He chose urban forestry and natural resources to contribute to the care of the environment. During his time at Southern, he had opportunities to intern with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and partner with the Recreation & Park Commission for East Baton Rouge Parish to produce multiple resource management plans and tree inventory projects. He is currently employed with the USDA at the Honeybee Breeding, Genetics and Physiology Agricultural Research Lab. He is known for his master status as a professional pugilist as well as pursuing a professional boxing career. He is a member of The Society of American Foresters, The Louisiana Forestry Association, Southwest Parks and Recreation Training Institute, and Spartans Boxing Club. He has goals to increase global contributions to sustainable living and spread his knowledge of agriculture.

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Upcoming Environmental Justice Webinars

Posted on by patricialindquist

The Arbor Day Foundation and the Chicago Region Trees Initiative are each hosting an environmental justice webinar next week.

On Tuesday, July 18, from 11 a.m. – noon, the Arbor Day Foundation is presenting Environmental Justice in Tree Cities: Where to Begin? A conversation with Dr. Christine Carmichael of Fair Forests Consulting for the Tree City USA network. In this webinar, attendees will learn the defining characteristics of environmental justice, evidence of environmental injustices in urban and community forestry, and strategies to integrate environmental justice principles into their Tree City USA programs.

If you, your organization, your city or town are new to environmental justice concepts and practices, this webinar will equip you with tangible next steps to advance your efforts, including ways to measure your success and adapt as needed along the way. 

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Applications For Urban Forestry Grants Are Now Open

Posted on by patricialindquist

Cities, villages, towns, counties, tribes and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in or conducting their project in Wisconsin can apply for a regular or startup 2024 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Urban Forestry Grant.

The grants range from $1,000 to $25,000, and grant recipients must match each grant dollar for dollar. A startup grant of up to $5,000 is available for communities that want to start or restart a community forestry program. Grants are awarded to projects that align with state and national goals for increasing the urban forest canopy and its benefits. Also available this grant cycle is an additional $145,000 in federal funding to be used for emerald ash borer treatment and ash tree removals and replacements.

The application deadline is Oct. 2, 2023. For more information, visit the Urban Forestry Grants webpage.

If you have questions regarding the application process and eligible projects, contact your DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator.

Please note: The DNR was recently allocated $4.875 million in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding. We expect to competitively sub-award most of this allocation to local governments, tribal governments and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations through our grant program to fund projects that support equitable access to trees and the benefits they provide in disadvantaged communities across Wisconsin. We will be sharing more information about the IRA funding soon.

2024 DNR Urban Forestry Grant Application Period Opening Soon

Posted on by patricialindquist

Applications for Urban Forestry Grants are opening soon!

Beginning June 30, 2023, cities, villages, towns, counties, tribes and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in or conducting their project in Wisconsin can apply for a regular or startup 2024 Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Urban Forestry Grant.

The grants range from $1,000 to $25,000, and grant recipients must match each grant dollar for dollar. A startup grant of up to $5,000 is available for communities that want to start or restart a community forestry program. Grants are awarded to projects that align with state and national goals for increasing the urban forest canopy and its benefits. Also available this grant cycle is an additional $145,000 in federal funding to be used for emerald ash borer treatment and ash tree removals and replacements.

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Grant Opportunity Funds Nature-Based Solutions To Promote Resilient Transportation

Posted on by patricialindquist

The PROTECT Discretionary Grant Program is a new grant opportunity available through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration. PROTECT stands for Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient and Cost-Saving Transportation.

This new program funds projects addressing the climate resilience of transportation systems, including improving highways, public transportation, ports and intercity passenger rail. Selected projects will use innovative and collaborative approaches to risk reduction through the use of nature-based solutions, including conservation, restoration or construction of shade trees, native vegetation, bioswales, marshes, wetlands, breakwaters, reefs and dunes. These methods will help reduce heat impacts, flood risks, erosion and wave damage while also creating habitat, filtering pollutants and providing recreational benefits. 

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Invasive Plant Control Database

Posted on by patricialindquist

Photo credit: Joseph O’Brien, USDA Forest Service, bugwood.org

Are you looking for information on how to control buckthorn, honeysuckle or garlic mustard? The Invasive Plant Control Database from the Midwest Invasive Plant Network is a terrific resource for learning about the most effective chemical and non-chemical control methods for dozens of invasive plants in the Midwest.

Information was collected from both scientific literature and expert opinions and summarized by the Midwest Invasive Plant Network in partnership with the Mark Renz Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. For each species, information was reviewed by four individuals, including two who identified as experts on control of that species.

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