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Directors add "nature and environment" emphasis; board to review forestry plan and explore partnerships
Summary
The board reinstated trees and forest preservation as an explicit focus area in the township strategic plan, asked staff to review the forestry plan and explore partnerships, sponsorships and creative approaches such as adopt-a-median programs and biological controls for invasive vines.
Directors at the May 13 strategic session agreed to explicitly add "Nature and Environment" (including trees and reforestation) to the township's strategic focus areas and asked staff to include forestry and reforestation strategies in the near-term budget discussions.
Staff noted the township's current plan already contains an environmental sustainability focus area that includes education and sustainability, and that forestry management is part of service delivery. Directors asked staff to make the role of tree preservation and reforestation more prominent in the strategic plan wording so it does not appear secondary to other topics.
Board members and staff discussed alternatives to direct budget allocations, including partnerships, sponsorships, leadership-development programs and a volunteer "adopt-a-median" model. The board also heard informal suggestions about using goats for invasive vine control as a low-chemical management technique; staff said examples from other cities could be reviewed and any pilot program would need operational details.
The township is also awaiting a formal Forestry Plan (described in the meeting as a Parks and Recreation-led study). Directors asked parks staff to return the study when complete and laid out that options such as private-public partnerships and sponsorships should be part of the budget-era discussion rather than relying solely on direct appropriations.
