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Tree committee reports 125 plantings in 2024; city pursuing Urban Ashes reuse contract
Summary
The ECC’s Tree Committee reported 125 trees planted in 2024 from a USDA grant, delayed funding that reduced 2024 plantings, removal-replacement ratios on rights-of-way, and preliminary steps toward a contract with Urban Ashes for reuse of harvested trees.
The Environmental Concerns Commission’s Tree Committee reported on planting and removal activity under a USDA grant and discussed a proposed city contract with Urban Ashes to reuse harvested trees.
Member report: the city received an approximately $1,000,000 USDA grant in 2023 (member phrased amount as an estimate) that supported tree plantings targeted to economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Funding delays limited plantings in 2024 to 125 trees rather than an originally planned 250; the committee reported plans to increase plantings in 2025, with one discussion clarifying that the city intends to combine the 125 deferred plantings with the 250 planned for 2025 for a total of roughly 300 trees in the 2025 planting program.
Committee members also reported right-of-way activity: approximately 64 trees were removed under various public-right-of-way projects in 2024 (requests from contractors and site work) and committee minutes show a replacement commitment generally at a 3:1 ratio. The USDA grant identified about 50 trees slated for removal in 2024; the committee asked staff for a count of how many of those removals occurred and said 30 removals had been noted in one update.
Members discussed a proposal to contract with Urban Ashes for reuse of harvested and storm-damaged trees; staff described prior presentations and said logistics are still being worked out. The Kalamazoo Nature Center’s outreach and an Arbor Day volunteer planting were also discussed as potential coordination points for 2025 volunteer events.
The committee did not adopt a final contract at this meeting; members asked staff to continue negotiations and to provide more precise planting and removal counts for an annual report.
