Grant to support creation of Evansville Forest Alliance
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The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $249,000 grant to Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve in Evansville to establish the Evansville Forest Alliance.
The initiative aims to address the urban environment in the city through strategic tree planting with a special focus on underserved and low-income communities.
The Evansville Forest Alliance is being created in partnership with the City of Evansville Arborist, the City of Evansville Climate Action Director, Community One, and the Indiana DNR.
The alliance said in a news release the strategic tree planting will address environmental concerns, as well as create opportunities for community engagement, education and potential employment through tree management and care projects.
“This initiative has been in the works for at least two years,” Wesselman Woods Executive Director Zach Garcia said in the release. “Planting native trees, educating residents on maintenance and care for trees, and providing outreach events on the importance of a healthy tree canopy are all wins for our city, its residents, and our urban ecosystems.”
The alliance will conduct a city-wide canopy assessment it says will be used to determine plans for future tree plantings and canopy growth.
“The city will be working with Indiana University’s Cohort Program to seek help establishing valuable connections between organizations in the city that are critical to finding places to plant trees where they are needed in the underserved areas of the city,” City Arborist Shawn Dickerson said. “This will be done though involving people in those areas in the planning process to help revitalize their neighborhoods.”
Evansville Climate Action Director Lauren Novell said planting trees in “under-canopied” neighborhoods will help address issues faced by residents in those areas, such as extreme heat, high energy costs, and air pollution.
The grant was warded by the DNR’s Community & Urban Forestry Department, with the funding being provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.