Port Huron approves $80,000 purchase of 200 trees; proposed reforestation task force fails for lack of second

Port Huron City Council approved a resolution on Oct. 14 to buy 200 trees from Marine City Nursery for $80,000 to be planted in the 2025 and 2026 planting seasons.

City Manager James Freed and Forestry Division Director Jason Coleman presented the planting plan to the council, describing the purchase as part of a multi‑year effort to rebuild the city's canopy after losses from emerald ash borer, storms and infrastructure projects. Coleman described planting larger (3–4 inch diameter) trees to improve survivability in the city's sandy soils and said the city had already planted nearly 300 larger trees since 2021.

Freed said the purchase advances a decade‑long goal to reach roughly 40% canopy cover and noted the city is targeting plantings in census tracts with lower canopy cover and higher need. "We're using the canopy study to look at the most vulnerable areas," Freed told the council. He also said the city is exploring a municipal nursery to grow trees locally and has launched an online tree request portal at cityofporthuron.org/treeprogram.

Council members asked how the 200 trees fit into the city's multi‑year target and whether residents could request plantings on private property. Coleman and Freed said the city will screen yard requests to ensure appropriate planting locations and that some trees will be placed off right‑of‑way when road projects or utility constraints make boulevard plantings infeasible.

The purchase passed on a roll call vote in which all recorded council members and Mayor Anita Ashford voted yes.

Separately, the council considered a resolution to create a mayoral reforestation task force to develop recommendations and a forestry management plan. Council member Payton moved the resolution but it failed for lack of a second. Mayor Ashford read public comments supporting a task force and encouraged coordination with the city manager's ongoing work, while Freed said the purchase order and planting plan had been in development for months and were not directly tied to the proposed task force.

Freed and Coleman said the city will provide seasonal reports on trees planted and removed on the tree portal and continue to pursue external grants such as Michigan DNR and SEMCOG resources to help fund future plantings. Freed recommended incorporating annual funding in the operating budget to sustain the effort and to replace trees lost each year to disease, storms or age.

The city manager and forestry director said the city intends to continue the multi‑year program and will adjust scale in future budgets and through possible resident cost‑sharing options if demand grows.