<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3ffAML_0vLczB4100" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3ffAML_0vLczB4100" width="650" height="488" ><figcaption>The Manistee Conservation District is looking to obtain a state grant which would, if awarded, fund efforts to catalogue trees in the city of Manistee. (Scott Fraley/News Advocate) </figcaption></figure><p> MANISTEE COUNTY —&nbsp;The Manistee County Board of Commissioners is backing a bid for a state grant aimed at making Manistee a greener place to live. </p><p> The <a href="https://www.manisteecountymi.gov/263/Board-of-Commissioners" rel="nofollow"> Manistee County Board of Commissioners </a> has formally approved the <a href="https://www.manisteecd2.org/" rel="nofollow"> Manistee Conservation District </a> ’s application for an <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-apply/grants/forestry/community" rel="nofollow"> Urban and Community Forestry Grant </a> through the <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/managing-resources/forestry/urban" rel="nofollow"> Michigan Department of Natural Resources. </a></p><p> This initiative, supported by the <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/" rel="nofollow"> U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service </a> , aims to enhance urban forestry in the city, through comprehensive tree inventories and strategic plantings. </p><p> Urban forestry involves the care and management of trees and green spaces in cities and towns, including planting new trees, maintaining and pruning existing ones and planning green spaces throughout the municipality. </p><p> The goal is to improve residents' quality of life by providing shade, reducing air pollution, enhancing property values and offering recreational spaces, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4556255/" rel="nofollow"> according to the National Institutes of Health. </a></p><p> The grant is part of the <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/-/media/Project/Websites/dnr/Documents/FRD/UCF/UCF-IRA-Grant-Handbook_IC4075.pdf?rev=1b227574896d4d84b4eb4474e38c71ea" rel="nofollow"> 2024 Michigan Urban and Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act Grant Program </a> , designed to provide financial assistance for projects that conserve and manage urban forests. Tyler Dula, conservation specialist at the Manistee Conservation District, emphasized the project’s importance in a letter to the board of commissioners. </p><p> "This grant would support a comprehensive inventory of all the trees within the public spaces and right-of-ways within the city of Manistee to determine hazard potential and species composition," Dula stated. "This inventory would then be used to prioritize trees for removal that would be replanted at a ratio of two new native trees for every tree removed." </p><h2><a class="chapter-anchor" id="projectgoals_1725479547192" tabindex="0"></a> Project goals </h2><p> The project aims to: </p><ul><li> Conduct a detailed tree inventory; </li><li> Identify high-risk trees for removal; </li><li> Replant native species to increase urban canopy and biodiversity; and </li><li> Focus efforts in disadvantaged areas as defined by the Urban and Community Forest Disadvantaged Screening Tool. </li></ul><h2><a class="chapter-anchor" id="localimpact_1725479575168" tabindex="0"></a> Local impact </h2><p> If awarded the grant, this initiative intends to achieve several goals, including: </p><ul><li> Enhance urban forest management: Enable the city to better manage its tree resources, creating a sustainable urban forest; <br></li><li> Environmental justice: Target disadvantaged areas to promote equity in municipal forestry efforts; and <br></li><li> Public awareness: Increase public understanding of the benefits of urban forests through educational workshops and community events provided by the conservation district. </li></ul><h2><a class="chapter-anchor" id="countysupport_1725479676245" tabindex="0"></a> County support </h2><p> The Manistee County Board of Commissioners supported the grant application with a 6-0 vote, with commissioner Janice McCraner absent from the Aug. 20 meeting. Board chair Jeffrey Dontz emphasized the project’s importance in a letter of endorsement: </p><p> “This project is a critical step toward enhancing the environmental health, safety and sustainability of our urban forest, particularly within the disadvantaged areas of our community," Dontz wrote. "...the replanting of native tree species at a minimum two-to-one ratio will significantly enhance the urban canopy, increase biodiversity, intercept stormwater, reduce urban heat island effect, and contribute to the ecological resilience of the city." </p><h2><a class="chapter-anchor" id="applicationandselection_1725479678503" tabindex="0"></a> Application and selection </h2><p> Applications for the grant are announced each summer and reviewed by the forest resources division staff, considering factors such as project impact and alignment with program goals. </p><p> The deadline for fiscal year 2025 applications is Sept. 20, with grant award announcements slated for November. Projects funded through this grant must be completed by Sept. 1, 2026. </p></div></body>

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Conservation district seeks grant for urban tree management

Learn about a new initiative supported by Manistee County aimed at urban forestry management.