More Trees for Manistee

Nov. 2, 2024

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced $3 million in grants to help communities expand and enhance trees and green space, and some of that money is headed to northern Michigan. The Manistee Conservation District (MCD) received $224,301 for a project called Branching Out for a Greener Future, an urban tree renewal project. “The City of Manistee Tree Commission began this inventory effort with volunteers, but they faced challenges with time and resources. They reached out to the Conservation District for guidance, and with their approval we applied for this grant,” says Tyler Dula, conservation specialist with the MCD. “With approximately 6,000 street trees and 1,500 park trees, this grant enables us to contract professionals to inventory and accurately assess tree risks in a matter of months rather than years.” The project will help to mitigate hazard risks, improve green space, and provide shade to reduce the heat island effect in neglected parts of the city.