Marion City arborist Mike Sempritsch and members of the Marion Tree Board told the City Council on Oct. 21 that the city has substantially increased tree plantings since the derecho and plans more concentrated reforestation work over the next decade.

Sempritsch said the Tree Board and parks staff have averaged "just over 1,700" plantings a year in the last five years and that "in total over those last 5 years, we've planted over 8,418 trees." He told council the public tree inventory dipped to just over 3,000 after the derecho but has since risen above 7,500 as planting resumed and accelerated.

The board’s presentation said new plantings are surviving at a high rate: "we're seeing upwards of 80 percent survival rate and I would argue closer to 90 percent survival rate on a lot of those right away plantings," Sempritsch said. He cautioned, however, that young trees do not immediately replace the ecological benefits of mature canopy.

Why it matters: Council and the tree board framed the effort as a multiyear urban reforestation campaign. Sempritsch said the city seeks a 35% canopy coverage goal for public spaces and rights‑of‑way, a target he said is recommended by state natural resources guidance. Board members and staff emphasized that planting is only the first step and that funding and maintenance are required to grow tree plantings into lasting canopy.

Details and next steps: The board described ongoing changes to planting tactics and standard practices, and is reviewing whether new development should be required to include right‑of‑way trees. Sempritsch said about half of the recent 8,000 plantings are in natural areas or green space and are not yet captured in the city’s street‑tree inventory.

The presentation identified several grant partners and programs used to stretch planting dollars and involve volunteers: an approximately $1 million Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) targeted to low‑to‑moderate‑income neighborhoods, the Monarch Research Project (which donates trees and supports right‑of‑way plantings), Trees Forever (which has supplied crews and youth employment for watering and care), and the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. John Hansen, a tree board member, explained the CDBG is the largest single funding source for concentrated neighborhood planting and said the program will open for bidding over winter with plantings scheduled for 2026; project funds must be spent by September 2026.

Council questions and concerns focused on invasive‑pest legacies and private‑property trees. Mayor Abu Asli and other councilmembers asked about ash trees and emerald ash borer; Sempritsch said the city has mitigated hazards on public property but sees ongoing declines on private property and that removal costs discourage some homeowners from acting. Sempritsch also said volunteers participate in roughly half of planting projects but that volunteer availability varies by site and season.

Board members and council discussed tracking longer‑term public‑health and environmental metrics tied to canopy growth; Sempritsch said the city has discussed such data collection but does not currently publish those measures.

Ending: The Tree Board will deliver a more detailed implementation update next month, and staff said they are scheduling future planting phases and will continue to refine maintenance and inventory practices so recent plantings mature into broader canopy coverage.