Forest Composition Work Group

The primary role of the Forest Composition Work Group is to get an accurate view of the current forest structure in the region and to identify priority areas where planting trees will have the highest impact.

This work group collects and maps data from a range of sources, including the Chicago Region Tree Census, inventories from private and municipal property, and an Urban Tree Canopy Assessment, to produce interactive community-scale maps such as CRTI’s Priority Maps, the Canopy Counts Program maps, and the downloadable Community Tree Canopy Summaries.

The collected data, presented in accessible and actionable ways, informs the specific, measurable composition goals of CRTI.

Chair

Lindsay Darling, The Morton Arboretum, ledarling@gmail.com

Tree Stewardship and Planting Work Group

The Tree Stewardship and Planting Work Group focuses on increasing the number of new trees in the Chicago region and ensuring that they are cared for properly to reach maturity.

This work group also coordinates the Chicago Region Trees Initiative’s Community Tree Network, which meets several times a year to offer peer-to-peer learning workshops on contemporary urban forestry issues.

The group also consults with schools and in communities on tree planting plans.

Co-Chairs

Brianna White, CEO and office manager, Emerald Tree Care, brianna@emeraldtreecarellc.com

Michael Collins, Village of Riverside, mcollins@riverside.il.us

Trees and Green Infrastructure Work Group

The purpose of the Trees and Green Infrastructure Work Group is to ensure that urban forest ecosystem services are preserved and protected in local policies, and that oak ecosystems are understood, restored, and protected.

To do this, the work group assists communities in developing sound policies for managing public and private trees and to expand appreciation for trees as critical infrastructure that improves with age.

This work group advises on the Chicago Region Trees Initiative’s work towards restoring oak ecosystems and implementing the Oak Ecosystem Recovery Plan. The group also drafts policy recommendations for tree protection and preservation, before, during, and after building or land development.

This work group has three subgroups.

• 21st Century Tree Protection Ordinance Subgroup
• Development Ordinance Subgroup
• Tree Advocacy Subgroup

Co-Chairs

Karen Miller, Kane County, millerkaren@co.kane.il.us

Robyn Flakne, Village of Glenview, rflakne@glenview.il.us

Tree Risk Assessment and Management Work Group

The goal of the Tree Risk Assessment and Management Work Group is to maintain a healthy urban forest that is resilient to ongoing threats.

The biggest threats to our urban forest are unintentional damage caused by those without an understanding of proper tree care and arboricultural practices and the changing climate, which brings extreme weather, increased pest pressure, and associated issues that will exacerbate damage to and from trees.

Arborists from the public and private sectors evaluate the biggest challenges to appropriately managing trees. Through outreach and advocacy, this work group seeks to inform and empower land managers to take action to support a healthy regional tree canopy.

Resources and Programs

The work group’s Tree Risk Tool Kit provides guidance, tools, and an informational, ready-to-share video to help community members speak up for trees and convince local decision-makers of the value of maintaining our urban forest.

The IAA and CRTI Urban Forestry Basic Training course, developed by this work group, provides nonarborists who work with trees with a valuable introduction on tree care. For more information and to register for the upcoming session, visit Urban Forestry Basic Training.

The spread of invasive woody plant species such as European buckthorn and tree of heaven diminish the diversity of the urban forest and can provide habitat for other deleterious forest pests such as the spotted lantern fly.

Members of this work group contribute to regional knowledge of how to deal with invasive woody plants by presenting at conferences and publishing informational products such as the Management of Invasive Plants and Pests of Illinois.

Options for replacement plants after the removal of invasive shrubs can be found in the Healthy Habitat brochure series.

Co-Chairs

Kim Blaszczak, Cook County, Kimberly.Blaszczak@cookcountyil.gov

Daniel Miraval, Green Extraction Technologies and Emerald Tree Care, dmiraval@greenextractiontechnologiesllc.com