Community Corner
Way to Grow: City Will Replace Uprooted Ash Trees
Oak Forest will begin to replace its 1,800 infected ash trees in the fall, thanks to a $20,000 reforestation grant.
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Come next spring, the addition of $20,000 worth of trees will beautify into "a new suburb" in some areas, said Public Works Assistant Director Rich Rinchich.
The department will use a reforestation grant to help replace some of the roughly 1,800 ash trees pulled from public parkways due to infestation by the metallic green beetle. The ash trees account for roughly 24 percent of the city's urban forest in parkways.
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"We're hoping we can stretch this grant, and get up to possibly 200 trees replanted," Rinchich said.
Find out what's happening in Oak Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The species of tree will be determined according to location, based on the trees' needs. The department is hoping to introduce between 5 and 9 species of trees, varied from those already planted in parkways. The variation is planned to prevent devastation of an entire species, should another infestation happen, Rinchich said.
Trees removed due to infestation are chopped into wood chips, playground materials and landscape mulch.
Tree replanting will begin in the fall and continue until spring, he said.
"The city of Oak Forest is also aggressively pursuing other grant opportunities," he said.
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