Village of Lombard awarded funding for urban forestry

The village of Lombard was recently awarded a $3,500 grant to update its urban forestry management plan.

Funding was provided by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Urban and Community Forestry Core Grant Program and administered by The Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Region Trees Initiative.

The revised urban forestry management plan reflects the village's commitment to promoting the health and longevity of local trees.

To view the plan, visit villageoflombard.org/forestryplan.

"Our trained staff of certified arborists work to keep pace with the changes in tree science and proper maintenance practices while maintaining more than 19,000 parkway trees in Lombard," said Eric Hendrickson, Forestry and Urban Landscaping Supervisor. "This grant has enabled us to update the management plan to incorporate these advancements and supports our efforts to implement best practices in everything we do to maintain the beauty and vibrancy of our community."

The grants provide communities with a better understanding of the urban forest areas they are managing by revealing an estimated number of trees, their size, condition, and species.

The inventories will also identify opportunities to increase planting and will inform the development of a comprehensive, long-term urban forest management plan.

"Urban trees are critical infrastructure for a community, and this funding helps communities to protect one of their most important resources," said Lydia Scott, director of CRTI. "Trees clean our air and water, reduce flooding and heat, improve our mental and physical health, and provide important habitat for birds and other wildlife."