Tree board to pursue state grant for invasive removals after forester reports planting progress

The Michigan City Tree Board on July 1 approved a motion for City Forester Phil and board member Jen to explore a Michigan Department of Natural Resources CUFF grant that would fund invasive-species removal with two replacement trees planted for each removal, with a 50/50 match requirement.

Phil, the city forester, told the board June was a record month for public inquiries and that the department is using a centralized system (Kinone) to track calls and work. He praised the watering crew and planting contractors and said another contractor was hired to remove about 199 leftover stump-grinding piles from a previous contract. Phil said Michigan City Municipal Airport recorded 7.4 inches of rainfall in June compared with a typical 4.2 inches, helping newly planted trees but also affecting turf-restoration timing.

Why it matters: The CUFF grant described by Phil would pay for removals and two replacement trees per removed specimen, which the forester said could help address problem pear trees in the downtown corridor. Phil also estimated the full cost to establish a public tree — planting plus roughly two years of watering and basic care — is about $1,000, a figure the board noted is important for future grant applications and budget planning.

Board action and follow-up: Betsy Alcessor moved that Phil and Jen work together to investigate the DNR grant; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Phil and Jen will coordinate with city finance staff to identify possible matching funds, including leveraging developer-derived canopy restoration funds the board holds.

Details from the forester: Phil said the city has a one-year warranty from the contractor Dogwood Hills covering replacement of trees that die in the first year and that planting plans include species such as flowering dogwood, crabapple, thornless hawthorn, magnolia, pagoda dogwood and Japanese tree lilac. He said a parkway restoration RFP for seed and mulch has been issued for fall implementation when seeding conditions are better.

Board members discussed volunteer recruitment for fall planting (October target), outreach to a local high school and St. Paul's Lutheran for volunteers, and using grant applications to fund interpretive signage and QR-code tree tours to show replacements. The board recorded that Phil and Jen will return with findings and a plan for a potential CUFF grant application.

The board approved the motion and took no final funding action at the meeting; any formal application will require identifying a local match and additional staff follow-up.