FLOOD06155 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

110 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Executive Summary. continued and preparation. Fortunately for these communities, assistance is often available through expert tree services, utility companies, and other communities. Medium- and large-sized communities usually have a public works department, but mayor may not have a municipal tree program. Two examples of mitigation plans, one for medium-sized communities and one for large-sized communities, are presented in detail in this publication. After a natural disasters has occurred, a variety of community replanting or regreening opportunities exist. Key players to regreening include: volunteers, community leaders, elected officials, as well as extension service experts, urban foresters, state and local natural resource professionals, consulting foresters, private tree care firms, and state and national professional organizations. It is critical that regreening efforts focus on planting the right tree in the right location. National awards such as Tree City USA and the Tree City Growth Award encourage communities to manage their urban forest to maintain its health, beauty and safety. State and local awards are often also available. Recognition at all levels (national, state, and local) for the community and its citizens is an essential element to maintaining urban forestry interest and support. When working with state and federal disaster relief organizations, local officials must understand the response and recovery process. Initial activities are emphasized at the local level. If additional assistance is needed, local authorities will contact State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) officials to have the impacted area declared as a disaster. If necessary, SEMA officials may contact Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials for federal disaster declaration. For co!T1munities seeking financial assistance for tree-related costs, it is critical that these communities show a commitment to managing their tree resources. Also vital, is a tree inventory that includes statistics on tree values. A case study of the August 1990 tornado that struck several northeastern 1I1inois communities discusses initial response activities, including the development of a Tornado ReLeaf organization, public education opportunities, fund raising, and assistance activities. The effort to regreen these communities was a public and private partnership. As such, regreening activities were completed on public right-of-ways, as well as on private lands. Insights from Hurricane Andrew illustrate how devastating a natural disaster can be to a highly urbanized area. Much of the hurricane related damage, unfortunately, was the result of poorly located trees, poor species selection and improper maintenance.