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Tree Board details $1 million federal grant, 14,000-tree inventory and planting plans
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Summary
The Tree Board described a $1 million U.S. Forest Service grant and a recent urban-forest inventory used to prioritize removals and plantings; the board reported 350 hazardous trees removed and roughly 500 trees planted in 2025 with continued plantings and public engagement planned.
The Michigan City Common Council received the Tree Board’s 2026 annual report on April 21, with the board detailing work under a $1,000,000 U.S. Forest Service grant and an expanded tree inventory.
Tree Board Chair Jennifer Burchfield told the council the grant period runs from March 2024 through Dec. 31, 2029, and that the city contracted a vendor to inventory public trees. She reported that in 2025 the inventory mapped about 13,009 trees and identified roughly 7,000 plantable spaces. "Over the course of 2025, 13,009, so let's just say 14,000 trees were mapped and entered into the GIS database," she said, noting the inventory also identified hazardous trees for removal and areas of low canopy to target planting.
Burchfield said the city removed about 350 trees that were in poor condition or posed a high failure risk, and prioritized approximately 500 plantable spaces where trees were planted in 2025 and will be watered via a two-year contract. She noted city staff and the tree board are using lidar-based canopy analysis and that municipal staff have received arboriculture training to support the work.
The tree board has produced publicly facing inventory maps and self-guided tree tours for several parks; the board is also planning outreach and giveaways in conjunction with Earth Month events.
Why it matters: The inventory and grant-funded work aim to improve neighborhood canopy equity, public safety (removal of hazardous trees) and city resilience. The board said proper watering contracts and training raise the odds of new-tree survival.
Next steps: The board will continue planting this spring, update ordinances related to tree management with staff, and pursue additional grants to sustain the program.
