November 12, 2020 at 11:10 a.m.
Planting trees and sowing seeds: Rhinelander Tree Board promotes urban forest management
Planting trees and sowing seeds: Rhinelander Tree Board promotes urban forest management
By Stephanie Kuski-
Jerow spoke during the Oct. 13 meeting of the GFWC Rhinelander Woman's Club and called on service organizations like the Woman's Club to help plant trees around the city while the recently-appointed Rhinelander Tree Board works out a budget with the City of Rhinelander.
Jerow, Tree Board chairperson and retired DNR water specialist, said that when he approached the city about establishing a Tree Board, he was told it was already part of the city's long-term management plan, but hadn't received support in recent years.
Now, with Mayor Chris Frederickson's support, the Tree Board is up and running with another half dozen individuals Jerow recruited to help further the cause.
The City Council appointed the Tree Board last January, Jerow said, adding that the group is continuing to work on establishing a funding mechanism through the city.
"Right now, we're really just trying to feel the lay of the land and get the Tree Board operating and established so it is a long-term effort," Jerow explained.
In order to replant and manage our urban forests, Jerow said approximately 85 trees will need to be planted each year in addition to removing 20 to 30 diseased or damaged trees.
Since those efforts come at a cost, Jerow said the Tree Board will be working with the city to establish future funds.
Jerow pointed to tree-lined neighborhoods like Elm Court which add economic and intrinsic value to our community. Since there is plenty of open space to plant more trees and create similar neighborhoods, sustained management of those urban forests becomes an important topic.
"We're surrounded by well-managed forests: we have the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, we have the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest, and last but not least, we have our Oneida County Forest. Thousands of acres of sustainably managed forests," Jerow said. "As a result, we get top dollar for our forest products in the market. All of those are public forests on public lands, so the money comes back and offsets our taxes. So it's a great economic driver for the Northwoods... And yet, our urban forests here in the city of Rhinelander is and was sadly neglected."
In 2011, the city received a grant to do a tree inventory at the same time the emerald ash borer destroyed countless ash trees in the city.
As a result, Bruce Carlson of Carlson Funeral Home helped fund a project to plant 100 disease-resistant elm trees throughout the city. While individual efforts by community members like Carlson are extremely important, Jerow said the goal of the Tree Board is to establish a concerted effort to manage those urban forests.
Recent city street projects have replaced over 10 miles of roads in the City of Rhinelander, and while these are important infrastructure upgrades, Jerow said many trees also came down during those projects and there are no plans to replace them.
He pointed to the Wabash neighborhood, whose streets were replaced last summer and, in the process, approximately 75 trees were removed that have yet to be replaced.
Jerow said when he saw what was happening in that neighborhood, he decided there was something that needed to be done.
To make his case, Jerow stressed the value trees bring to our community: Trees help with stormwater management, since their roots absorb water and reduce runoff; trees reduce heating and cooling costs; tree-lined streets protect pavement from harsh elements so that it lasts longer; tree-lined streets improve property value; trees in shopping districts have been shown to enhance retail business; trees provide wildlife habitat and clean our water; and, of course, trees beautify our community. Jerow pointed out that many tourists come to our area to experience our urban forests, and since our natural resources are an important economic driver, sustained management of those resources becomes vital.
The Tree Board has a list of projects on the docket, but their main goal is to establish a concerted effort to replace diseased and damaged trees with a diverse urban forest that will keep diseases and pests at bay.
The board also hopes to plant trees in downtown parking lots to provide shade and prevent stormwater runoff into the Wisconsin River.
Jerow said he hopes the board will look to reforest the Wabash neighborhood, and then go back to all past street projects and replant trees in those bare boulevards.
In the future, Jerow hopes to encourage homeowners to plant trees in their backyard and perhaps even offer a cost-sharing program to incentivize planting trees on their property, since it will benefit both the city as well as the homeowner.
Another important aspect of the Tree Board will be to provide education to community members and establish a culture of tree planting.
Down the road, Jerow said there's also an exciting potential to involve youth and schools.
While the Tree Board is still working out a budget with the city, Jerow said the group will start a project next year which calls on service organizations like the GFWC Woman's Club for support.
The goal is to plant a dozen or so trees on Brown Street all the way to the viaduct. This way, Jerow said he hopes the project will empower local citizens to contribute to creating a more liveable and beautiful community.
Stephanie Kuski may be reached at [email protected].
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