The City of Ann Arbor needs your help to restore “Tree Town” to its former glory. The infestation of the non-native Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) beetle compounded the normal loss of street trees with the loss of over 10,000 ash trees that had been planted along public streets and parks. Many neighborhoods, once planted with ash trees, are now barren of street trees or have conspicuous ‘hot spots’ where the shade is lost. Trees not only provide a cool, welcoming environment for the public to enjoy for a lifetime—trees also reduce stormwater runoff, create oxygen, increase property values, and provide homes for wildlife.
The city has planted over 4,000 street trees since 2004 to replace both ash trees lost to EAB and the normal loss of street trees. 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 street tree program.
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 2010 Resident Sponsored Tree Planting Program Summary (4-page pdf- updated 05/04/10). Please check back often, we will be adding more nurseries 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/
City’s Replanting Efforts
The city’s goal is to replant 1000 street trees during fiscal year 2011, which began on July 1, 2010. When selecting potential street tree planting locations, the city uses the following criteria to identify:
- Areas that that had been impacted by the emerald ash borer that have not been replanted
- Areas with low tree canopy cover
- Areas with large amounts of impervious surfaces (roads, rooftops, sidewalks, etc.)
- Areas with an aging tree canopy where trees are dying and new trees need to be planted to help maintain a sustainable canopy.
- Areas where construction activity may have impacted the tree canopy
Using the criteria above--along with the newly completed street tree inventory and the city's urban tree canopy map--potential street tree planting locations for fiscal year 2011 are being identified.
Fall tree planting will begin in October/November 2010.
Questions? Please contact customerservice@a2gov.org.