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Macomb Earns Tree City U.S.A. Title

TSPR'S Emily Boyer
Ameren Illinois employees volunteered to help plant trees along E. University Drive

Macomb’s commitment to urban forestry has been recognized for the 23rd consecutive year. The Arbor Day Foundation designated the town as Tree City U.S.A.

City Forester Tim Howe said his department works to maintain older trees and plant new ones. “Young trees are properly cared for along the city streets. They’re mulched and they’re watered. They [the public] will notice that the older trees have dead limbs trimmed off of them. Trees that are in poor condition that may be dangerous, you don’t see those on the parkway, those are removed. And it’s just for a more attractive and safer community to live in,” Howe said.

Credit TSPR's Emily Boyer
Macomb Mayor Mike Inman presents City Forester Tim Howe with Tree City U.S.A. award

He said trees do more than just improve the look of a community. “They do a lot to provide clean oxygen, they filter out dust, they provide shade and actually they make streets last longer,” Howe said. “Streets that are shaded last longer.”

Macomb’s forestry department relies primarily on city funding, in-kind donations, and grants. Most recently it received a $3,000 grant from Ameren Illinois to remove some very old trees that had grown into power lines along East University Drive.    

“And they’d grown up into them and became a maintenance problem. They weren’t attractive because they were topped. We removed a number of trees, ground out the stumps and now we are going to start planting the replacements,” Howe said.

The grant money also covered the cost to plant 15 crabapple trees along the street.

Howe said there is concern that if the state cuts the city’s budget, the forestry department would need to be downgraded.

"The city budgets $15,000 each year for tree planting and maintenance which is not a lot but we try to do the most we can with that money,” Howe said.

“We try to spend it wisely and we have civic groups that help with funding planting.”

Howe said ideally he’d like to plant between 50 and 60 new trees a year. Anything more than that would be too much to maintain.

Emily Boyer is a former reporter at Tri States Public Radio.