Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Urban Forestry topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
La Porte forester says $1 million federal tree grant lost; more than 30% of street trees need work
Summary
Contract city forester Phil Graph told the council that La Porte lost a $1 million federal tree grant when a pass-through 501(c)(3) was defunded; an updated inventory found 5,574 trees, roughly 900 recommended for removal and about 650 needing pruning — more than 30% require attention — and staff urged the council to find funding for removal and maintenance.
La Porte’s contract city forester told the Common Council on June 1 that the city had been awarded a roughly $1 million federal tree grant through the U.S. Forest Service but lost the pass-through funding when the assigned 501(c)(3) was defunded. Phil Graph said the loss was not the result of city action and described the event as "random bad luck" for a community that had planned significant tree work.
Graph presented an updated street-tree inventory showing 5,574 trees across the city. Of those, about 900 were recommended for removal (roughly 17 percent) and another 650 were identified for significant pruning to address structural defects, dead limbs and clearance issues (about 15 percent). "We're over 30 percent of the tree population that needs to be taken care of to mitigate risks," Graph said. He warned that without funding the situation will not improve and could worsen, leading to more claims and safety concerns.
Graph said the city had been one of two Indiana communities that received direct funding in the first round, but when the pass-through agent was defunded La Porte lost access to the anticipated million-dollar award. He noted that some communities that received funding have not yet spent all of it and that city staff are seeking alternative sources and working with neighboring jurisdictions to identify reallocations.
City staff and council discussed the practical constraints: conventional tree-removal contractors differ from line-clearance crews that work around utility wires; Graph said 135 trees remain waiting on NIPSCO for line trimming before removal can proceed. He estimated the average cost per tree removal could be in the $1,200–$1,500 range, and said the city may need to weave tree maintenance into the municipal maintenance budget going forward.
The council thanked Graph and said it would need to work with the clerk/treasurer and staff (Tucker King was named as assisting on grants) to identify funding, pursue grant opportunities and prioritize the most hazardous trees. Graph said that any amount of funding will help and urged the council to support the work when funds become available.
Next steps: staff will continue grant-seeking efforts, coordinate with NIPSCO for line clearance on utility trees, and present options for council consideration about how to cover removal and maintenance costs in future budgets.
