The Delta Institute, a Chicago-based nonprofit, told the Hammond Common Council on June 23 that it will partner with Hammond City parks staff to create an urban forestry management plan, complete tree inventories in the city’s Second and Third Districts and plant 200 new trees by December 2026.

"From now until the end of, December 2026, we will be working in Hammond to create, an urban forestry management plan, conduct tree inventories of the Second And Third District, including Harrison Park, remove 10 hazardous trees to the community, and plant 200 new trees," Jamie Zuras of the Delta Institute said during a presentation to Mayor McDermott and council members. Zuras said the project will aim to reduce stormwater runoff, improve canopy coverage in underserved neighborhoods and boost community resilience to heat and flooding.

The project team said it will work with the Hammond parks superintendent, Devin Wick, and local consultants. "We're able to do this through partnerships such as, with Davie Resource Group, our consultant that will be conducting tree inventory and writing the urban forestry management plan. And through our partnership with Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute," Zuras said. Delta Institute fellow Zach Lienenberg, who identified himself as from Hammond and with the Environmental Resilience Institute at Indiana University Bloomington, said he will lead GIS analysis and prioritize planting locations based on sociodemographic and surface data.

The group provided several quantified project goals in its presentation: planting 200 trees; removing 10 hazardous trees; mitigating an estimated 34,000 gallons of stormwater runoff; sequestering about 5,700 pounds of carbon; and involving more than 200 residents and stakeholders. Council members asked about the geographic focus; Zuras said the Second and Third Districts were selected using census data showing underserved conditions and higher heat burden. "Those are districts that have been identified using, centric census available data that show that those districts are underserved areas," Zuras said.

Council members in the meeting voiced support for community engagement and coordination with parks staff. Councilman Tyler said he toured Harrison Park with project staff and identified tree problems to prioritize for removal and replacement. The council voted earlier in the meeting to suspend the rules to allow the Delta Institute to present; that motion carried 7–0, recorded by Clerk Golic.

The presentation did not commit the city to specific funding; Zuras described the work as a partnership and community-engaged planning process and said planting and removal work would proceed under the project timeline if partners move forward. The Delta Institute left contact cards for members of the public who want more information.