The Forestry Division is responsible for the maintenance of over 18,000 parkway trees located along Village streets and parkways, with an overall objective of protecting this resource by ensuring a healthy, sustainable urban forest. The management of the Village’s urban forest is administered by three Village Foresters who coordinate the following programs: management of the Emerald Ash Borer, systematic pruning, tree removals, planting, resident request/inspections, insect and disease control, tree preservation, hazard tree ordinance and various plant health care treatments. Assisting with tree preservation, for trees located on public and private property, are two part-time Village Tree Preservation Officers.
The Village’s parkway tree population is quite diverse, with no single species comprising more than 11 percent of the total population. As a rule, industry standards recommend that no single species should comprise more than 15 percent of the total population. There are over 150 tree species and sub-species represented within the Village’s urban forest. The top five tree families include maple, ash, oak, elm and honeylocust.