Trees and Such

Tree issues come up a lot in local government, from aesthetics to the massive citywide efforts each fall to keep roads and water drainage flowing so everybody can safely go about their business. Some folks rarely notice the street sweepers roaming around, even in the fall when they have one or two giant follow trucks hauling the massive amounts of leaves they collect. Flat and swampy can be high maintenance. I had some tree updates a couple weeks ago as well at the bottom of this park updates post here (on MCORE tree replacement and the pesky emerald ash borer problem).

Today's tree post is a two parter: awards and information. First, Urbana received recognition for its arboreal dedication:

Urbana earns designation as 2018 Tree City USA
The Arbor Day Foundation has named Urbana a 2018 Tree City USA for the city's commitment to urban forest management.

The city was also honored with a Tree City USA growth award for demonstrating environmental improvement and an increasingly higher level of tree care, according to city Arborist Mike Brunk.

To be designated a Tree City USA, a community must have a tree board or department, a tree-care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.

Since the city began the Urbana Cooperative Tree Planting Program four decades ago, that program saw its best year ever in 2018, according to Brunk.

That included more than $10,000 for 85 new trees to line city streets last year through the Urbana Rotary and residents Dr. Holly Rosencranz and Warren Lavey.

Full blurb here. And as far as springtime yard waste pickup, that time is approaching in both Champaign and Urbana:

Just Askin' | Spring yard-waste collection
...
Champaign has shortened its yard-waste pickup from four consecutive weeks to one collection in April and another in May for each of the Orange and Blue zones the city is divided into.

Instead of each zone being divided into subzones for each day of the week, this year, crews will begin picking up yard waste on Monday and continue each day until all materials are collected.

Crews will collect waste from the Orange Zone, which covers everything north of Springfield Avenue and east of Prospect Avenue, the weeks of April 8 and May 13. And the Blue Zone, which covers most of the southwest part of town, will have its yard waste collected the weeks of April 15 and May 20.

Leaves and other yard waste must be in 30-gallon paper bags, and twigs and branches may be bundled with nonmetallic twine.

In Urbana, which only collects leaves, collection will last for one week this spring, from April 22-26.

Full article here. City web links: Champaign collection information here. Urbana collection information here. On a bonus note, Urbana is looking for input for anyone interested in food scrap recycling (compost). More information on that here at WCIA (with a video segment) and a survey link here.