Montgomery Receives $15,000 Federal Forestry Grant

MONTGOMERY, IL — The Village of Montgomery has been awarded a $15,000 federal forestry grant from the Morton Arboretum's Community Tress Program, officials said in a news release Monday. The grant will help the officials create an inventory of tree species, size, health and location throughout the village.

"Trees are a critical asset to communities, serving many valuable roles, including producing oxygen, absorbing rainwater to reduce the threat of floods and offering shelter for local wildlife," the news release states. "They also add beauty, shade and character to neighborhoods."

Officials say the inventory will help day-to-day management of village-owned trees. The Morton Arboretum, which administers the grants on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service, has awarded more than $170,000 to communities across Illinois to fund tree-related projects. The program aims to help municipalities, park districts and other local groups fund projects like tree planting, tree inventory or developing a preservation or tree management plan.

(For more stories like this, subscribe to Patch for daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. You can also download the free Patch app for iPhone and Android.)

"As Chairman of the Beautification Committee of the Village of Montgomery, I would like to underscore the value we place on identifying, nurturing and maintaining our urban forest. In addition to the obvious visual benefits trees afford our community, we are also mindful of their positive environmental impact," said Village of Montgomery Trustee Stan Bond in a prepared statement. "I believe our forest totals more than than 12,000 trees, each of which needs to be catalogued and monitored for healthy condition, proper pruning and management and contribution to its surroundings. To accomplish this entails considerable effort and expense, but the result is a highly valued contribution to our community and to our environment."

Beth Corrigan, a Community Trees Program specialist with the Morton Arboretum, said the grant will enable communities like Montgomery to move forward with urban forestry plans.

"Trees are an important part of our region's green infrastructure," she added. "Communities are the key to creating a greener, healthier world."

Image via Shutterstock