City Trees, an international, bimonthly online magazine published by the Society of Municipal Arborists and about all things urban forestry, is now free and available to anyone. Subscribe here.
Urban wood
Applications For Urban Forestry Grants Are Now Open
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
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.
Continue reading “2024 DNR Urban Forestry Grant Application Period Opening Soon”
Grant Opportunity Funds Nature-Based Solutions To Promote Resilient Transportation
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.
Invasive Plant Control Database
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.
Willow Identification And Management Class
Riveredge Nature Center in Saukville, located in southeastern Wisconsin, is offering a class on willow identification and management on Friday, June 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Expand your restoration skillsets by getting past the Genus Salix to further your understanding of willow species identification, their habitat needs and their importance for pollinators. Follow Zach Khron and Matt Smith into off-trail areas of Riveredge’s uncommon habitats to find willow populations, identify at the species level and discuss management. We will start our day in the lab to review herbarium specimens and end it in the field.
Continue reading “Willow Identification And Management Class”
Madison Welcomes New City Forester
The city of Madison is happy to announce Ian Brown as the new City of Madison Forester.
Brown will lead the Streets Division’s Urban Forestry section. He joins the city after 17 years of public urban forestry experience, most recently as a Forestry District Manager for the city of Milwaukee for the past 7 years.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota – Morris in biology and a Master of Science in natural resource management with a focus in urban forestry from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.
Are Native Trees The Right Fit For Our Downtowns?
By Kim Ballard, Project Canopy, kim.ballard@maine.gov
Photo credit: David Lee, bugwood.org
This article was first published on the website of the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry. Reprinted with permission.
As urban foresters, we are often asked, “Why do you recommend planting a non-native tree in front of my house/on my sidewalk/in that parking lot?” The question is complex and has as many answers as there are environments in Maine. But it all boils down to “right tree, right place.”
Maine is the most forested state in the nation. Along with our beloved state tree, the eastern white pine, our forests are full of sugar maple, red oak, white birch and eastern hemlock. If you get a chance to wander through these native woods, you’ll notice that the shady air is cooler, moister and perhaps not as breezy as the air around your neighborhood sidewalks. Trees planted in our downtowns face a whole host of conditions – solar reflection, drought, soil compaction, road salt, tunneling winds that forest trees rarely encounter. Can you imagine a majestic white pine on Congress Street in Portland? Even if it could survive, it certainly wouldn’t be very happy. Our downtowns are NOT native spaces, and they cannot support our native species appropriately.
Continue reading “Are Native Trees The Right Fit For Our Downtowns?”
Wisconsin Forestry Center Seeks Industry Input
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point are seeking the opinions of Wisconsin’s forestry professionals.
Researchers are conducting an online survey to understand the professional development and training needs of Wisconsin practitioners in fields including forest management, timber harvesting, forest products, and urban forestry. By participating, you will help inform the development of more relevant, accessible, and valuable training opportunities.
The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete, and your response is anonymous. Visit this link to participate and share your thoughts in their online survey. The deadline to participate is April 28.
If you have questions related to this study, please contact Zoe Kaminsky, graduate research assistant, at zkaminsk@uwsp.edu.
Eight Applicants Receive DNR Urban Forestry Grants In Second Round Of Funding
The DNR Urban Forestry Grant program awarded $108,220 to eight Wisconsin communities for urban forestry projects during the second round of our 2023 funding. Most of the funding ($104,920) was originally reserved for the Catastrophic Storm Grant program but was not needed through the winter months. The rest of the funding ($3,300) came from underspent grants.
The following communities will receive the funds:
- Village of Allouez, $17,783.00
- Town of Beloit, $11,804.80
- Forest County Forestry & Recreation, $3,007.38
- Heckrodt Wetland Reserve, $5,581.97
- City of Kaukauna, $25,000.00
- Mequon Nature Preserve, $7,250.23
- City of Oshkosh, $25,000.00
- Urban Tree Alliance, $12,792.62
Continue reading “Eight Applicants Receive DNR Urban Forestry Grants In Second Round Of Funding”