The Village of Western Springs was awarded an Urban and Community Forestry grant, funded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the US Forestry Service, and administered by the Morton Arboretum.
This matching grant supports the completion of a tree inventory that allows the Village to assess the condition and health of its urban forest and create a management plan for the more than 8000 trees that grow locally. This plan will ensure that future plantings include varieties that fare best in the local environmental conditions and micro-climate. The Village last completed a comprehensive inventory of its tree stock in 2008. The Department of Municipal Services held a bid opening for the tree inventory program and awarded a contract to Planit Geo. Despite the Covid-19 crisis, the tree inventory took place in May and was completed ahead of schedule.
The forestry grant will also support preparations to expand and enhance the Village’s tree assets. As a further requirement of the grant, the Village is creating a tree protection and preservation ordinance. Past urban forest management has resulted in Western Springs being designated as a ‘Tree City USA’ for the 35th consecutive year – an honor the Village hopes to maintain for many years to come.