The Wisconsin Urban Forestry Insider

Your Comment Important!!

Comment is being accepted on the Governor’s Global Warming Task Force Interim Report.
View the report [PDF, 468KB].

March Public Input Session

Public input session will be held on Wednesday, March 19, 2008. The session will be held simultaneously by video conference in Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay and La Crosse from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. View more information.

If the public cannot attend the input session, but would like to provide comments, they can do so by emailing the Task Force at DNRGLOBALWARMTFCOMMENTS@wisconsin.gov.

Comment on Urban Forestry Important

The Interim Report does not include any recommendations from the forestry and agriculture working group. That can change. The current template involving urban forestry has been expanded to include the benefits of conservation and energy efficiency which urban trees provide. View the revised urban forestry template [PDF, 36KB].

The Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council has endorsed the template. It is important for the Task Force to hear your voice regarding the value of urban forestry. Comment today!

Key points to consider:

• The value of heating and cooling savings to Wisconsin rate-payers as a result of urban trees is $ 24.3 million, annually.
• WI urban forests have a 2002 base year carbon storage of 6,147,000 tons. Annual additional carbon sequestration rates are estimated at 400,000 tons. Avoided carbon emissions are estimated to be 50,000 tons annually due to reduced energy for heating and cooling.
• Large trees provide over 7 times the benefits of small trees – management of trees, not just planting them, is important
• The "20 million trees by 2020" is a state-wide, private-public collaborative tree planting and management initiative that would:
  • Increase current tree planting by 100%.
  • Is not dependent on special technology to advance and involves every Wisconsin resident.
  • Provide economic stimulation in the form of jobs, sales, services to the expanding WI green industry which currently has a $2.7 billion annual impact. These jobs stay in Wisconsin.
  • Position WI urban forests to better face the threat of invasives, including emerald ash borer.
  • Increase Urban Forestry grant dollars to WI communities by $1.5 million.