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Governor Announces Urban and Community Forestry Grants
SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan today announced $107,359 in grants to 27 communities for urban forestry projects.
"Trees are an important part of the urban landscape," Ryan said. "These grants assist local governments with a variety of projects, from taking inventory of the trees they have, to new plantings, to preparing comprehensive forestry management plans."
The grants provide up to half the cost of a project, with a cap of $5,000. Funding comes from the U.S. Forest Service's Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program, which is administered by the Department of Natural Resources.
Communities, the grant amounts and the projects are as follows:
Abingdon, Knox County,
$1,500 to develop a tree ordinance, establish a tree authority and conduct a boulevard beautification project.
Addison Park District, DuPage County,
$3,450 to train staff to help conduct a tree inventory of park district lands using GIS software.
Algonquin, McHenry County,
$5,000 to conduct a forest inventory and acquire inventory software.
Brooklyn, St. Clair County,
$1,000 to establish GIS technology training for pre-career interns at Lovejoy High School.
Champaign, Champaign County,
$3,000 to develop and publish a tree walk guide for citizens.
Chicago, Cook County,
$5,000 to train new city staff on proper tree care and maintenance.
Crestwood, Cook County,
$5,000 to plant 95 trees around the Crestwood Recreation Center.
Darien Park District, DuPage County,
$925 to develop a tree ordinance and conduct an Arbor Day tree planting.
Downers Grove, DuPage County,
$5,000 to develop an urban forestry disaster recovery plan with storm mitigation strategies and inventory update components.
Glen Ellyn, DuPage County,
$4,000 to hire an intern to help collect data on a local historic/big tree guidebook.
Golconda, Pope County,
$3,804 to plant 90 trees in Golconda City Park.
Grayslake, Lake County,
$5,000 to conduct a tree inventory, develop a tree risk management plus insect and disease management program.
Hickory Hills Park District, Cook County,
$3,850 to hire consultants to conduct a tree inventory and develop a computerized tree inventory system for the public trees.
Jacksonville, Morgan County,
$5,000 to hire a consultant to do a tree inventory.
Lake Zurich, Lake County,
$5,000 for storm mitigation tree planting of 40 trees throughout the city.
Lindenhurst, Lake County,
$5,000 to plant 33 street trees throughout the community.
Mackinaw, Tazewell County,
$530 to revise the local tree ordinance, establish a tree board, review the health of their trees and for an Arbor Day ceremony.
Mount Prospect, Cook County,
$5,000 to develop a tree risk mangement program to inventory high risk nuisance trees.
Mt. Vernon, Jefferson County,
$5,000 for removal of high risk trees for liability reduction.
New Lenox, Will County,
$3,000 to create a tree board, develop a tree care ordinance and explore ways to expand the parkway tree program.
Palos Park, Cook County,
$3,150 to conduct a tree inventory.
Park Ridge, Cook County,
$5,000 to update the street tree inventory and public information brochure.
Salem, Marion County,
$5,000 to conduct a tree inventory.
Schaumburg Park District, Cook County,
$4,150 to develop a tree ordinance, establish a tree authority and conduct a seminar on tree planning, planting and maintenance.
Skokie, Cook County,
$5,000 to plant 30 trees along main city streets t o enhance the community.
Springfield, Sangamon County,
$5,000 for tree planting throughout the city.
Woodridge, Cook, DuPage and Will counties,
$5,000 to conduct a tree inventory.
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