You may be still bundled up in winter jackets and gloves, but Forest Park is getting things set for its spring plantings – and wants to hear from you now.
In the village newsletter last week, Public Works Director Sal Stella called on the public to give him suggestions on where new trees might go.
Note: there are no promises, as he is quick to say, money does not grow on trees.
“The Forest Park Public Works Department is taking minimal tree requests in [the spring] planting season. There are limited request amounts available, so act quickly” he said.
If you have a suggestion, email Stella at sstella@forestpark.net and request that Public Works plant a tree at no cost to you.
There are, however, several caveats involved before the request is granted.
One is money. A positive response is possible only as long as funding is available. The village’s Forestry Division is funded through the village’s general operations budget.
“We must be fiscally responsible and request a reasonable amount of funds for the division,” he said. Funds go to maintenance, tree planting, dumping fees, contracted fees, removal of large trees and parkway repairs, among other things.
In considering requests from residents, another question Stella will ask is, “Does it fit Forest Park’s Forestry Comprehensive Management Plan?” Based on arborist recommendations, the plan assures equitable and diverse distribution of trees throughout the village.
Diversity is as important in the tree population as it is among humans. Remember the scourge of Dutch Elm Disease that afflicted this country’s tree population in the last half of the 20th century and more recently the curse of the Emerald Ash Borer?
The benefit of diversity in the tree population is that if a pandemic wiped out one species the entire urban forest would not be destroyed.
“The necessity of a diverse canopy in a community,” he explained, “reduces the risk of a catastrophe, should a new disease outbreak occur on a specific species of tree.”
Stella therefore encouraged residents to understand if they do not get that maple tree they had their heart set on.
He noted that residents may request the planting of trees which do not fit the specifications of budget and the comprehensive plan but will be charged full price.
Stella is a big fan of trees as valuable assets for Forest Park for several reasons, one being aesthetic.
Many of the benefits which he notes are practical. “Trees play a crucial role in a community by improving air quality, regulating temperature, managing stormwater runoff, providing habitat for wildlife, potentially reducing energy costs, and ultimately contributing to a healthier and more sustainable environment for residents,” he said.
He had some advice for future plans for redoing Madison Street.
“Whenever Madison Street gets another makeover, I suggest that they plant ornamental medium height trees that are not susceptible to road salt. The current Locust trees are growing too big for a downtown area. They have popped out the tree grates, are growing into the buildings and out into the street.”
The Public Works Director is proud of the Village’s urban forest. “The Arbor Day Foundation and Illinois Department of Natural Resources have recognized the Village of Forest Park as a Tree City USA community for five years and have given the community the Growth Award for the last four years,” he said.
He resonates with Joyce Kilmer’s poem:
I think that I shall never see.
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray …