Mt. Vernon using DNR grant to create community forestry program
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The city of Mt. Vernon is using a three-year grant from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry to create a community forestry program. The initiative includes conducting a tree inventory, assembling a tree board and increasing the city’s tree canopy.
Julie Vann, who helped coordinate the grant, told Inside INdiana Business the award is a big win for the small city of about 6,400 people.
“It’s hard to start new programs in cities, and it’s hard to make new policy. This grant will give us the opportunity to make a good effort,” she said. “We’re trying to put something together that is relatively simple and not too taxing on the either city council people or the staff…and reflects what people of Mt. Vernon want.”
The Posey County city was among 16 Indiana communities that received $2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry program. Mt. Vernon was awarded the highest amount: $212,800.
“What will set us apart from several of the others that applied is we’re going to ask the residents to nominate a site to plant trees. So we are partnering with the residents to build this program. We aren’t just using the money to get trees to plant in a park that the city picked out,” said Vann.
Applications for the tree board are being accepted through Nov. 1. Interested candidates can stop by City Hall at 520 Main St. or call the mayor’s office at (812) 838-5576. Vann hopes the tree board and other program components will lead to green infrastructure legislation that will cultivate a healthy, attractive and sustainable city where people and businesses thrive.
“We are surrounded by industry. There are eight manufacturing industry companies in the township immediately adjacent to our city. So the idea of maintaining a strong tree canopy to clean the air and protect our cities is a smart move,” she said.
Grant application
When county arborist Tom Guggenheim heard the DNR was offering grants up to $250,000 to plant trees in urban communities, he enlisted Vann to spearhead Mt. Vernon’s application process. About 20 letters of support for the community forestry program were submitted by residents, not-for-profits and companies such as SABIC, CountryMark and CenterPoint Energy.
“It turns out there’s a tree freak in everybody. Because trees bring a real sense of comfort and well being,” said Guggenheim.
DNR allocated the grant money specifically for underserved or disadvantaged areas throughout the state. According to the Council on Environmental Quality’s Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, the east side of Mt. Vernon is classified as disadvantaged regarding climate change and legacy pollution.
“There’s expected population loss, fatalities and injuries resulting from natural hazards each year. And also the area is low income,” said Amy Rhodes of Purdue Extension Posey County, who co-authored the grant.
Guggenheim doesn’t expect to have any trouble exceeding the minimum number of trees to be planted in the designated census tract during the grant period.
“We’re aiming for 250 trees over the course of three years. I think it can be more than that if there’s a lot of public support,” he said.
Program components
The first phase of crafting Mt. Vernon’s community forestry program is executing a tree inventory on the city’s east side. This assessment will be used to determine locations and conditions of current trees and potential installation areas.
“Decades ago, Mt. Vernon had huge, 40-foot trees that make great canopy,” Vann said. “But over the years, now that they’re 100 years old or more, some of them have become diseased.”
Guggenheim added, “There’s real benefit into knowing what trees you have, teaching people how to inspect trees and identifying a truly imminent hazard.”
Another focus of the grant is educating the public about the benefits of trees and how to take care of them.
“Proper site selection, the right species of tree that’s appropriate for that site and making sure that it gets planted correctly. A lot of problems with trees as they mature happen due to that very initial first step. If it’s not planted correctly, then you’re could experience problems five, 10, 20 years later simply just because it wasn’t installed properly,” Rhodes said.
“Keep it mulched,” added Guggenheim. “Grass is the mortal enemy of a tree. Mulch keeps moisture in the ground, keeps weedwhackers and lawnmowers away from it and protects that tree from animals.”
Guggenheim said at least 50% of the new trees will be planted in public spaces, while the other 50% will be available for residents’ yards.
Support groups
The tree board is one of several groups that will be supporting Mt. Vernon’s community forestry program. Members of the new committee are expected to be advocates for tree canopy by developing ordinances, promoting education and recruiting volunteers.
“The tree board is the result of people within our community caring about the future of our community,” said Mayor Steve Loehr in an email. “There were endless hours of work put into this project which ended up resulting in the funding being awarded to it. I am proud of the effort that was put in on it, and I am looking forward to seeing how this project goes.”
Another group, Friends of Mt. Vernon Trees, will involve residents who are passionate about providing care for trees in the community. Organizers envision the faction becoming a not-for-profit in the future to help with fundraising.
“If we go after additional grants or donations that are primarily awarded to nonprofits, we will have an organization that qualifies with the focus of improving the tree canopy in Mt. Vernon,” said Vann.
Vann and Rhodes are also working getting youth involved with the tree initiative, including community outreach, independent study projects and assessment assistance.
“We’re in the process of working with a professor of biology at the University of Southern Indiana,” Rhodes said. “She is reaching out to students in environmental science and biology. So we’re recruiting two to four university interns to help with the tree inventory process.”