Inventory

Community Spotlight: West Allis’ Tree Inventory System

Posted on by janness

By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist; Daniel.Buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578

It was 2021 and the West Allis Forestry Division faced a crisis. For all intents and purposes, its tree inventory was no longer functional. The division had always been a program that kept and used a lot of data, but inefficiencies in the inventory process abounded, and now the software where the data was stored was essentially crashing. The status quo was clearly not working.

But as Winston Churchill apocryphally said, “Don’t let a crisis go to waste.” Continue reading “Community Spotlight: West Allis’ Tree Inventory System” →

Tree Inventory Subaccounts Available Within Wisconsin Community Tree Map

Posted on by janness

By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist; Daniel.Buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578

Do you have a tree inventory but have a hard time keeping it up to date? Or are you interested in inventorying trees from scratch?

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has made a handful of “subaccounts” available for communities or organizations to edit data within the Wisconsin Community Tree Map at no cost to the community or organization.

The DNR wants to distribute these subaccounts to entities that would actively use the tool to add or remove trees in their inventory or to edit current data (e.g., assign maintenance, change the diameter, mark a tree as pruned). The map can be accessed with a smart phone, tablet or computer, provided there is an internet connection. The DNR can provide training on the tool for interested communities.

The account would be freely available through June 2026. It is unknown if the DNR will continue to fund community accounts after that, but the updated data can be exported and used elsewhere. Communities could also pay for an account to maintain access. The data will stay on the tree map regardless.

Interested in learning more? Please reach out to the DNR’s urban forestry assessment specialist, Dan Buckler.

Upcoming Trainings

Posted on by janness

group of people listening to a speaker in the woods*These training opportunities are provided as an information service only and do not constitute an endorsement from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

See below for information on training topics, including biochar, advanced arboriculture, selecting resilient tree species, The National Urban Tree Canopy Application, invasive species, wildlife and educational resources. Continue reading “Upcoming Trainings” →

Urban Forest Inventory And Analysis Release

Posted on by janness

By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist
Daniel.Buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578

Much of what we know about our urban forests is limited to publicly maintained spaces such as in parks or along streets. However, the curtain covering other urban lands is rising, starting in Milwaukee and Madison.

The Urban Forest Inventory and Analysis (UFIA) program, a partnership between the USDA Forest Service and the DNR, has established 1,300 permanent plots in urban areas across Wisconsin. Project foresters captured loads of information on each plot, such as tree species and sizes, land ownership, tree damages, and wood volume. The data were extrapolated from those plots and made into estimates for each city. The data were also incorporated into i-Tree to calculate ecosystem services. Continue reading “Urban Forest Inventory And Analysis Release” →

Please Submit Trees Planted This Year!

Posted on by janness

By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist; Daniel.Buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578

Autumn is a wonderful time for planting trees. And after the trees go in the ground, please take a few minutes to document the effort in the Wisconsin Tree Planting Map. The map was designed to help track trees planted to advance the state’s pledge to the Trillion Trees Initiative.

Continue reading “Please Submit Trees Planted This Year!” →

Sampling Trees On Milwaukee Public School Campuses

Posted on by janness

By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist; Daniel.Buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578

The trees on school properties mirror those of the surrounding urban forest in composition but not in coverage.

That is one initial takeaway from an i-Tree Eco project on Milwaukee Public School (MPS) properties conducted by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry interns Priscilla Loh and Taylor Colman this summer. Continue reading “Sampling Trees On Milwaukee Public School Campuses” →

DNR Seeking Applications For Urban Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Grants: Submit Applications By June 3

Posted on by janness

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced it is accepting applications for the Urban Forestry Inflation Reduction Act grant program. The program, which launched in January, uses federal funds to support projects that positively impact trees and people within disadvantaged communities* in Wisconsin.

The DNR is hosting a webinar on March 14 at 1 p.m. to provide an overview of the application and answer questions. A link to register is available on the DNR Urban Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Grants webpage. The application deadline      is June 3, 2024.

Potential projects may involve conserving, protecting, expanding or improving urban forests. Examples include tree planting, hazard tree removal and pest control. Projects can also be capacity-building endeavors, such as urban forestry management plans, tree inventories and public education.

Cities, villages, towns, counties, tribes and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations conducting their projects in Wisconsin may apply for an Urban Forestry Inflation Reduction Act grant. Eligible projects must occur in or benefit those living in disadvantaged communities as identified by        the DNR on this map and list.

Continue reading “DNR Seeking Applications For Urban Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Grants: Submit Applications By June 3” →

Updated Tree Species Recommendations

Posted on by janness

By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist

Pines are evergreen. So are hollies. And spruces and firs and hemlocks fit the bill. Requests for species recommendations are also evergreen – I’m sure many of you field these requests.

The DNR Urban Forestry program, in consultation with partners on the Wisconsin Urban ForestryBald Cypress Council, has updated its recommended species lists for street and park trees. You can find those four documents below and under “Tree Species Selection” on the DNR urban tree planting resources webpage.

These lists are not exhaustive, and any general list of recommendations has some uncertainty due to the nuanced conditions of specific planting sites. We highly suggest consulting with your local nurseries and other experts who can discuss what is available and provide other recommendations and planting advice. With just a few exceptions, these lists do not include cultivars and varieties, but your local experts can provide that amount of detail. Continue reading “Updated Tree Species Recommendations” →

Free Data Collection Applications For Tree Inventories

Posted on by patricialindquist

By Dan Buckler, DNR Urban Forest Assessment Specialist, Milwaukee, Daniel.Buckler@wisconsin.gov or 608-445-4578

Tree inventories seem like such simple enterprises. Their purpose, essentially, is to determine what trees are growing where, in what shape they’re in and how big they are.

But to do them well requires expertise in arboriculture, proficiency with data collection and familiarity with GIS. And, of course, time. This is why many organizations turn to consulting arborists and foresters to conduct inventories and write management plans – they have that expertise and experience to see those projects through.

However, for some smaller or specialty projects, an organization may decide to collect tree data itself. For these efforts, a list of free digital data collection applications is available on the DNR website.

Continue reading “Free Data Collection Applications For Tree Inventories” →