Fitchburg Tree Advisory Committee Meeting – March 12, 2026

The Tree Advisory Committee met on March 12, 2026, at 4:04 PM to review the draft Urban Forestry Management Plan, discuss Arbor Day and Earth Day planting events, receive a departmental update, and set a timeline for council action. The meeting had no public comments.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes from the previous meeting were approved unanimously.
• The agenda for the current meeting was unanimously approved.

Discussion Items

• Urban Forestry Management Plan Review: The committee reviewed the final draft of the Strategic Urban Forestry Management Plan, developed with a $25,000 grant and over $42,000 in staff time. Members provided feedback on adding a priority/effort/cost grid to the action items, clarifying contradictory language about arborist staffing (one line indicated the city had an arborist while a similar line indicated it did not), and updating financial comparisons with neighboring cities rather than relying on inflation-adjusted data from 2015. One member expressed disappointment with the writing quality, suggesting it needed a professional editor, while others praised the depth of public engagement and comprehensive inventory. The committee decided to refer the plan to the City Council with minor edits; it will appear on the March 24 council agenda for referral and is scheduled for a vote at the April 28 council meeting.
• Arbor Day 2026: The Arbor Day celebration will be held on April 25, 2026, at Western Hills Park in the Hugo Jeston neighborhood, planting 6–10 trees to replace ash trees removed due to emerald ash borer and storm damage. Urban Tree Lines will provide trees through an IRA grant, and Operation Fresh Start will water them. The event will be scaled down from previous years.
• Earth Day 2026: A tree planting at Chicory Meadows is planned for April 24, 2026, with DNR volunteers and approximately 20 trees, funded by a $3,500 Alliant Energy million trees grant.
• Department Report: The department received a Gold Leaf Award from the International Society of Arboriculture for work in Hugo James Town. The parks department has been dissolved, and forestry now operates under public works. Spring tree planting bids came in at $225 per tree for 363 trees (lower than last year), with about half being ash replacements. The IRA grant-funded planting continues in Maple On Heights, Traceway, and Hugo James Town.
• Announcements: The Arbor Day Proclamation is expected at the April 14 council meeting (moved from April 28 to align with Arbor Day). The committee’s next meeting will be on April 9, 2026, where a vote on the management plan and tree planting is expected.

Key Outcomes

• The committee approved the minutes and agenda.
• The management plan was deemed ready for council referral with minor edits; no formal committee vote was taken, but members expressed general support.
• Arbor Day and Earth Day events were confirmed as described.
• The next Tree Advisory Committee meeting is set for April 9, 2026, to vote on the plan and approve spring tree planting.