Since 2005, the city has planted nearly 5,000 trees along streets and in parks to replace both ash trees lost to the emerald ash borer and other street trees that died or were removed for a variety of other reasons. While we continue our replanting efforts, we understand that residents may want a street tree before we arrive in their neighborhood to replant. If that’s you, we encourage you to take advantage of the city’s do-it-yourself, resident-sponsored tree planting program (see details below).
Fiscal Year 2012 Tree Planting Plan
Objective: To plant 1000 trees during Fiscal Year 2012
To meet our tree planting goal, the city has created the FY2012 Tree Planting Plan that identifies potential street tree planting locations. Planting for FY12 will be during Fall 2011 and Spring 2012. The plan was created utilizing the street tree inventory and Urban Tree Canopy analysis. Areas identified in the plan had to be at least one of the following:
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An area impacted by the emerald ash borer
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An area with low tree canopy cover
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An area with large amounts of impervious surfaces (roads, rooftops, sidewalks, etc.)
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An area with an aging tree canopy where trees are dying and new trees need to be planted to help maintain a sustainable canopy
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An area where construction activities have provided an opportunity for tree planting
Click here to view the FY2012 Tree Planting Plan
Please note the plan contains more potential planting locations than we have the budget to plant in FY2012. Areas with a large number of potential planting sites will be planted over several fiscal years.
Are you in an area that is listed in the FY2012 Tree Planting Plan? If your street is selected for tree planting, you will receive a letter in your door letting you know that we will be in the area evaluating potential tree planting locations. Fall tree planting will begin in October/November 2011.
Can’t find your neighborhood on the FY2012 Tree Planting Plan? If you are interested in having street trees planted but are not on this year’s plan, you have a couple of options.
1. You can contact Kerry Gray at kgray@a2gov.org or 734.794.6430 x 43703 and ask that your street/neighborhood be evaluated for inclusion in the FY2013 Tree Planting Plan. Tree planting for FY2013 will begin in the Fall 2012.
2. You can participate in the Resident Sponsored Tree Planting Program detailed below.
3. You can submit a proposal to the Elizabeth Dean Fund Committee for tree planting in your neighborhood. For more information, visit the Dean Fund Committee page.
Resident Sponsored Tree Planting Program
Do it yourself. Hire a pre-qualified nursery to plant a street tree in the right-of-way in front of your home and receive a letter of charitable donation, up to $1,000 to use with your Federal Income Tax return. Click here for the 2011 Resident Sponsored Tree Planting Program Summary (4-page pdf- updated 05.20.11). Please check back often for more nurseries added to the pre-authorized list.
A property owner is able to contract with a pre-authorized nursery and pay that company directly to install an approved street tree appropriate to the specific site. The resident is responsible for identifying a pre-authorized nursery and potential planting location, selecting a tree species, obtaining a (free) Forestry Permit and a final (free) Forestry permit inspection. The nursery is responsible for providing the approved tree, contacting “Miss Dig” to identify locations of underground infrastructure--such as water and power lines--digging the hole, and installing the tree. The property owner can submit the street tree installation receipt and the signed authorized Forestry Permit to the city’s Forestry Office (734-794-6364) to obtain a letter of charitable donation, up to $1,000 to use with your Federal Income Tax return.
Program Benefits
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Individuals are able to plant a street tree on their own timetable (spring and fall are traditional tree planting seasons) and recover a portion of their costs through a charitable donation.
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The process assures that the tree will have a high survival rate and not pose future damage to the city’s infrastructure.
Tree Planting Resources
Do you want to learn more about species listed on the
Approved Tree List?
- Check the following websites for pictures and additional information.
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- Please Note: Species NOT approved by the City of Ann Arbor may appear on these websites. The City of Ann Arbor’s Approved Street Tree List supersedes other agencies/organizations recommendations.
Jesse Saylor’s Plant Encyclopedia (Michigan State University) http://www.saylorplants.com/
Michigan State University Extension Recommended Alternatives to Ash Trees for Michigan's Lower Peninsula http://www.emeraldashborer.info/files/e2925.pdf
University of Illinois Extension Selecting "Trees for your Home" searchable database http://urbanext.illinois.edu/treeselector/
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Tree Index http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/5361/Default.aspx
United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database http://plants.usda.gov/
University of Florida Tree Fact Sheets http://hort.ufl.edu/trees/
Questions? Please contact customerservice@a2gov.org.
Last Updated: May 20, 2011