MDC grants City of Jackson funds for urban tree management

JACKSON, Mo. -- The city of Jackson recently received $2,043 from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to assist with the removal of tree debris in the Jackson City Park as part of the MDC's TRIM program.

TRIM, or Tree Resource Improvement and Maintenance, is a competitive cost-share tree care program administered by the MDC in cooperation with the Missouri Community Forest Council. The program provides reimbursement of $1,000 to $10,000 to assist government agencies, public schools and non-profit groups with the management, improvement or conservation of trees on public lands.

So far, TRIM has funded 41 projects throughout Missouri. In the MDC's Southeast Region, the cities of Jackson, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston have been assisted. MDC's Forestry Field Program's Supervisor, Justine Gartner, said the department anticipates expending $367,033 statewide approximately, of which $15,000 will likely be expended in the Southeast region.

According to MDC's forestry supervisor for the Southeast region, Joe Garvey, projects eligible for TRIM funding include tree inventory, removal or pruning of hazardous trees, tree planting, and training of volunteers and city/county employees to best care for community forests.

Garvey also said projects for funding are selected on a competitive basis, where a panel of judges assess each proposal for its value to the community, thoroughness as a tree management program, ability to promote, improve and develop a community's urban forest and economic feasibility. Projects located in communities with The National Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA designation are eligible for additional matching funds, he said.