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Milwaukee forestry faces long pruning cycles, stump backlog; city expands youth apprenticeships
Summary
Forestry managers told the budget committee the city's pruning cycle is six years, stump removal backlog will be addressed through contracting and federal IRA grants, and the department is expanding youth arborist apprenticeships and tree-planting funded partly by a $12 million IRA grant.
Milwaukee's urban forestry leaders described a continuing backlog of removals and stumps and said pruning cycles for street trees are six years, prompting concern from alders about response times for hazardous limbs.
Erin Stockel, the city's new Urban Forestry Services Manager, and Danielle Rodriguez, DPW Director of Operations, briefed the committee Oct. 16 on 2026 forestry operations. They said typical lifecycle timings for a public-right-of-way tree removal can take up to 18 months from initial work to removal and stump grinding may take up to 24 months. Staff explained the department's multi-step approach: removal, stump grinding, then planting, and said the pruning cycle is about six years for many public trees; industry guidance recommends pruning younger trees every three years to develop structure.
Forestry leaders said the department has accelerated stump grinding through a combination of in-house crews and external contractors and that capital and IRA-funded contracts will help clear a multi-year backlog by about 2028. The department reported tree-planting and canopy work funded by a $12 million federal IRA urban and community forestry grant: the program includes street-tree pruning, planting, depaving and planting of green infrastructure and workforce development across disadvantaged communities.
Forestry described workforce development steps, including state-recognized urban arborist apprenticeship programs, youth arborist apprenticeships (six paid positions funded in 2025, with trainees hired into full-time roles), and partnerships with Employ Milwaukee and MATC. The department also runs a municipal nursery and greenhouse producing thousands of street trees and is trialing species expected to tolerate shifting hardiness zones.
Aldermen pressed for better response times for hazard reports; Stockel said priority is given to emergencies, and DPW said contracting and training are intended to reduce backlog and shorten response times. Members asked about communication prior to tree removals; Forestry said it uses door hangers before and after work and is open to improving notice and incorporating a sign-up/notification option in Click2Action (the city's resident service portal).
Committee members also asked for more public education on tree care, better coordination between street projects and tree preservation, and consideration of neighborhood impacts when trees are removed for street reconstruction. DPW agreed to follow up with additional data on stump backlog progress and the impacts of the IRA-funded projects.
No budget vote was taken at the hearing; forestry funding is included in the DPW operations package for council consideration.
