Lessons from Flint & Trees
Welcome to the third League E-Muni, the once a month email supplement to the League’s the Municipality magazine. We want to make sure you have what you need to be successful in your community and often find that we have more resources than we have room for in the print version of the magazine.
Popular in the March magazine was Jerry Deschane’s column, “Two Lessons from Flint.” Michigan municipalities rely heavily on the property tax and state revenue sharing, just like we do in Wisconsin. Earlier this week, the Michigan Municipal League launched a website with data that shows how the state has diverted $7.5 billion from Michigan communities since 2002. See more here: http://www.savemicity.org/facts-and-figures/
Related articles:
Michigan's way of funding cities set stage for Flint water crisis
Businesses Seek Talent and Talent Seeks Places, So Help Michigan Cities
Wisconsin Resources
Rather than chip and landfill or disposal methods, more and more municipalities are connecting with companies and individuals who will reuse the wood. The DNR developed this list based on available resources, proactive outreach and contacts.
The purpose of the council is to advise the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on the best ways to preserve, protect, expand and improve Wisconsin's urban and community forest resources.
The Wisconsin Continuous Forest Inventory (WisCFI) collects and reports on the condition of Wisconsin's state forests in a statistically sound manner. The data is collected from a system of permanent plots to track forest conditions on an annual basis.
Bird City Wisconsin "Cities" and Criteria
93 Wisconsin Communities are recognized as Bird Cities in Wisconsin.
Tree City
The Tree City USA® program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. It provides direction, technical assistance, public attention, and national recognition for urban and community forestry programs in thousands of villages and cities that more than 135 million Americans call home.
Additional Resources
Stormwater resources are housed on the League’s website here and include “Tree Roots Improve Soil Infiltration Rates”
How Neighborhood Trees Improve Public Health by Planetizen
The following resources link to papers by Geoffrey H Donovan, USDA Forest Service and provide in depth information on the data he references in his March article, "Trees Pay Their Own Way."
Valuing Street Trees
The effect of urban trees on the rental price of single-family homes
The Effect of Trees on Crime
The value of shade: Estimating the effect of urban trees on summertime electricity use
Also check out all of Grant Snider's art in the same style as "A Walk in the Park" on his website Incidental Comics.
Save the Date
The League's 118th Annual Conference is in Stevens Point October 19-21. Workshop Proposals are now being accepted. Please fill out the electronic submission form to submit your workshop. **All First time municipal attendees will receive half off the registration fee** Please share widely.
Coming up in the April the Municipality... Municipal Transitions, including a legal article on post-election issues in cities and villages, three Mayors who are retiring plus what to look for when purchasing health insurance and POEMS for Creative Economy Week.
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